Where the burner's axial-loss energy accounting could be read two ways, the design chose the convention that excludes the plug potential from both sides — making the directed power a lower bound on converter input and the plug power a lower bound on recirculation. It rounds against itself.
The calibration source's own equations proved internally inconsistent when evaluated at its stated point, so rather than tune an unsourced factor to make them fit, the burner adopts the unambiguous internal-energy form for axial loss. The consequence, stated in the code: directed power is a lower bound on converter input, plug power a lower bound on recirculation.
Choosing the self-penalizing convention where the physics is ambiguous is the clearest signal of intent in the whole ledger. A design that rounds against itself when uncertain is a design whose favorable numbers can be trusted, because it did not manufacture them.
| Ambiguity | axial-loss energy convention |
| Choice | exclude plug potential from both sides |
| Directed power | lower bound on converter input |
| Plug power | lower bound on recirculation |
| Rejected | tuning an unsourced factor |