Trade Studies for Evaluating Lunar Surface Power Architectures
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Abstract
It is necessary to have a flexible power architecture for the implementation of a sustainable lunar base at the lunar South Pole. Several power architectures alternatives consisting of several technology options have been proposed. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive trade analysis of comparative sizing for those options. This paper presents a comparative evaluation of surface and elevated solar panels for power generation, DC cables, AC cables, and power beaming for power distribution, and batteries and fuel cells for energy storage, which helps understand the configuration for power architectures that provide the most optimal solution with regards to landed mass and operational flexibility. The comparison is done by using illumination profiles of specific lunar sites and evaluating that at differing heights above the ground. The method of combining time-dependent illumination data with static system sizing is detailed in the paper. The case study compares the different architectures that are possible using all combinations of the technologies that are discussed.
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2025
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