Australia

VSD compressor technology supports athlete safety at first‑of‑its‑kind Winter Olympics Training Facility

Sleeman Sports Complex located in Queensland, Australia, is home to the Southern Hemisphere’s first year‑round ski jump training facility. When the Olympic training facility needed a solution to ensure safe landings at the base of their water ramp, Atlas Copco Sales Engineer Duncan Vaughan stepped in with the expertise and innovation required to meet the challenge. 

Armed with experience, technical skill, and access to Atlas Copco’s extensive product portfolio, Duncan engineered a solution: a precisely calibrated bubble aeration system that helps soften athlete landings and reduce potential injury, even as they launch up to 17 metres above the water, reaching speeds of up to 70km/h.

The combination of the ramp and swimming pool is engineered to simulate a snow ski ramp—enabling their athletes, including Winter Olympians, to train at full speed, no matter the season. At the heart of this setup is one critical element: a bubble aeration system that ensures a soft, safe landing.

“The project was very challenging, with only three pieces of information provided: the number of nozzles, the nozzle size, and the required bubble size,” said Sales Engineer Duncan Vaughan.

Fast Facts

  • The facility is designed to simulate snow ski jumps.
  • The highest ramp reaches almost 40 metres.
  • Winter Olympians train at Sleeman Sports Complex all year round.
  • Athletes reach speeds of up to 70 km/h.
  • A bubble aeration system helps soften landings and reduce injury risk.

The Solution: Two GA55VSD Air Compressors

“I developed a method to calculate the total air requirement, which proved accurate and ensured the correct bubble size and duration,” Duncan explained.

Two Atlas Copco GA VSD air compressors were selected due to their versatility and reliability. 

The compressors are designed to operate efficiently from the moment they start, never drawing more than a full load. This ensures they make optimal use of the available power. 

Their high-power factor further maximizes efficiency. And even if initial calculations are slightly off, the VSD technology allows fine adjustments to stay within the power limits. Pressure settings are adjustable from 600 kPa to 1300 kPa— offering maximum flexibility for fine tuning the system.

Along with the two compressors, Duncan also chose our UD+ filters as it is critical to maintain water quality in the pool. The Atlas Copco UD+ filters were chosen to remove oil down to 0.001 mg/m³ with minimum pressure drop.

“The rest is history—the system proved its worth,” Duncan concluded.

The Olympic ski-jump training facility needed a solution to ensure safe landings at the base of their water ramp.