Autonomous power system with variable sources and loads and associated methods

A power system, comprising:

• a number of power supply units;
• a number of load units connected to receive power from the number of power supply units;
• a potential load bus connected to have a voltage level representative of both a total potential power requirement of the number of load units and a total potential power supply capability of the number of power supply units;
• a first number of resistors connected between the potential load bus and a reference ground potential, the first number of resistors respectively corresponding to the number of load units, each of the first number of resistors having an amount of electrical resistance based on a power consumption of the load unit to which it corresponds;
• a first number of current sources connected to supply electrical current to the potential load bus, the first number of current sources respectively corresponding to the number of power supply units, each of the first number of current sources defined to supply an amount of electrical current based on a power output rating of the power supply unit to which it corresponds;
• a first control circuit connected to the potential load bus and defined to monitor the voltage level on the potential load bus and enable operation of one or more of the number of load units when the voltage level on the potential load bus indicates that a sufficient supply of power is available from the number of power supply units for operation of the one or more of the number of load units;
• an actual load bus connected to have a voltage level representative of both an actual total power consumption of the number of load units and an actual total power supply available from the number of power supply units;
• and
• a second control circuit connected to the actual load bus and defined to monitor the voltage level on the actual load bus and based on the monitored voltage level on the actual load bus signal an impending loss of the sufficient supply of power from the number of power supply units for operation of the one or more of the number of load units.