L2-PDM-LOAD CRITICAL POWER ENERGY Level 2 · hardware

Load Management System

Priority-Based Load Management and Scheduling System

The Priority-Based Load Management and Scheduling System is an autonomous control architecture implemented on radiation-hardened processor boards with redundant non-volatile memory that balances settlement power demand against available generation and storage capacity. Operating across a minimum of five priority tiers, the system uses a 336-hour predictive horizon to manage stored energy reserves throughout the 14-day lunar night, when thermal control demands become critical and cannot be disconnected. To protect command and data handling, radiation protection, and cryogenic archives from power loss, the controller executes graceful load shedding in under 500 milliseconds during shortfalls, systematically isolating deferrable in-situ resource utilization loads until generation capacity recovers.

Autonomous priority-based load shedding and scheduling system that balances power demand against available generation and storage capacity.

Purpose

Ensures critical systems (cryogenic archive, CDH, radiation protection) always receive power by intelligently shedding lower-priority loads during power shortfalls.

Context

Acts as the brain of L1-PDM, receiving demand signals from all L1 subsystems and generation capacity data, then commanding L2-PDM-SWGR to connect or disconnect loads per priority tables.

Principles

▸Hierarchical load priority ensures archive and life-critical systems are never shed
▸Predictive scheduling anticipates lunar night transitions and plans load profiles
▸Graceful degradation sheds loads incrementally rather than catastrophically
▸Autonomous operation with pre-programmed priority tables and AI adaptation

Typical implementations

▸Priority tier lookup tables with real-time demand tracking
▸Predictive algorithms using solar illumination ephemeris data
▸ISS-heritage load shed sequencing with automatic restoration
▸Distributed load controllers at each major subsystem interface

Lunar considerations

▸14-day lunar night requires aggressive load scheduling around stored energy budget
▸Thermal control loads become critical during lunar night and cannot be shed
▸Cryogenic systems must never lose power even momentarily
▸ISRU loads are deferrable and serve as primary shed candidates

Specifications

Functional

primary function	Manage power load allocation through priority-based shedding and scheduling algorithms
inputs	Available generation capacity from L1-PWR, Storage state from L1-ESS, Load demand from all L1 subsystems
outputs	Load connect/disconnect commands to L2-PDM-SWGR, Load schedule data to L1-CDH
shed response time ms	<500
priority tiers	minimum 5
prediction horizon hours	336
restoration automatic	True

Physical

materials	Radiation-hardened processor boards, Redundant non-volatile memory
vacuum	True
radiation tolerant	True

Operational

thermal range c	-173, 127
lifetime years	100

Interfaces

Provides

→Switching & Relay GearLoad switching commandscritical
Issues connect/disconnect commands to switches based on priority algorithm output
→Command & Data HandlingLoad schedule and statusessential
Reports current load allocation, shed status, and upcoming schedule to central computer

Requires

←Power Monitoring & MeteringReal-time load datacritical
Receives per-system power consumption data for load balancing decisions
←Power Generation SystemGeneration capacity statuscritical
Receives available generation capacity and projected changes
←Energy Storage SystemsStorage state of chargecritical
Receives battery and fuel cell reserve levels for budget planning