Control or processing system and method

A processing or control system for an energy conversion device, the processing or control system comprising at least one processor and comprising or being configured to access data storage, the processing or control system being configured to determine at least one parameter of the energy conversion device by:

• determining one or more losses associated with the energy conversion device;
• determining at least one parameter of the energy conversion device by varying, increasing, optimising or maximising at least one operational variable or output of the energy conversion device by reducing, minimising or optimising the one or more losses or a function thereof;
• and
• determining a value, range or function of at least one parameter of the energy conversion device (such as a power or torque curve) associated with, or that results in, the improvement, variation, optimisation or maximisation of the at least one operational variable (e.g. power output) and/or output of the energy conversion device and/or that results in the reduction, minimisation or optimisation of the one or more losses.

A method for determining or estimating an aerodynamic or hydrodynamic efficiency of an energy conversion device (or a function thereof) and/or a mechanical loss component, the method comprising:

• (a) Measuring one or more variables of the energy conversion device, which may comprise one or more or each of:
• generator speed (at the rotor shaft) ωm, a nacelle wind speed Unacelle, a freestream wind speed U∞, phase currents and/or voltages of the generator, the frequency of the phase voltage at the terminal of the generator (which may be used to estimate the rotor speed);
• (b) Determining one or more losses of the energy conversion device, such as one or more electrical losses;
• and
• (c) Determining an aerodynamic or hydrodynamic efficiency of the energy conversion device that best fits the one or more variables of the energy conversion device and/or the one or more losses of the energy conversion device, e.g. by minimising an error between predicted and measured rotor speed.