Load Balancing Across Sources
Multi-Source Load Balancing Controller
The multi-source load balancing controller is a software system hosted on radiation-hardened NOR flash that distributes electrical load across up to four power sources, including nuclear reactors, solar arrays, and energy storage systems. Drawing one watt, the controller reconciles steady reactor output with solar variability and varying storage states-of-charge, mitigating uneven hardware degradation over a 100-year operational lifetime. Using real-time bus-voltage feedback at a 1 Hz control loop rate, it executes model predictive control over a one-hour horizon to balance source efficiency, equipment life, and power reliability.
Controller that distributes load across multiple power sources (reactor, solar, ESS) to optimize source utilization, equipment life, and energy throughput.
Purpose
Controller that distributes load across multiple power sources (reactor, solar, ESS) to optimize source utilization, equipment life, and energy throughput.
Context
Child of L2-PDM-LOAD within the Lunar Ark system
Principles
- ▸Cost function balances source efficiency, equipment life, and reliability
- ▸MPC-style optimization with 1-hour horizon
- ▸Real-time bus-voltage feedback regulates source dispatch
- ▸Coordination with L3-ESS-MGMT-DISP for storage decisions
- ▸Energy accounting per source for trend analysis
Typical implementations
- ▸Industrial microgrid energy management (terrestrial)
- ▸Tesla Megapack site controllers
- ▸NASA Glenn Lunar Power System Trade Studies
Lunar considerations
- ▸Long-mission sources age at different rates — balancing extends overall life
- ▸Solar variability vs. reactor steady output
- ▸Storage state-of-charge influences dispatch priority
Specifications
Functional
| primary function | Controller that distributes load across multiple power sources (reactor, solar, ESS) to optimize source utilization, equipment life, and energy throughput. |
| control loop rate hz | 1 |
| sources supported | 4 |
Physical
| mass kg | 0 |
| materials | Code on rad-hard NOR flash |
| vacuum compatibility | True |
Operational
| power consumption w | 1 |
| thermal range c | -40, 70 |
| lifetime years | 100 |
| mtbf hours | 500000 |
Interfaces
Provides
- Source dispatch commands
- Load balancing telemetry
Requires
- Storage dispatch context
- Per-load current measurements
Cite this entry
Lunar Ark Codex. "Load Balancing Across Sources" (L3-PDM-LOAD-BAL). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://lunarark.com/entry/L3-PDM-LOAD-BAL
Licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. You may reuse and adapt this entry with attribution, under the same licence.