A knowledge-based approach to optimize the supply and usage of electricity onboard the Space Station

During about one third of the Space Station´s orbit the solar array output is zero and the payload is served by storage devices. It has been found that when a 24-hr cycle is used, some loads onboard the station cannot be scheduled during the desired times. It therefore becomes necessary to reduce the cycle length and dispatch period so that a greater number of loads can be served without increasing the size of the power source. An approach to optimize the supply and usage of electricity over a shorter time frame is discussed. Supply/demand windows of various lengths are implemented for the typical load profile. As a result fewer rescheduling tasks are needed and a closer match between the supply and demand is obtained. The optimal supply/demand can be refined in terms of the excess and shortage of electricity. This technique is implemented using PROLOG and FORTRAN