WO2023215340A2 - Devices, systems and methods for input voltage control of remote equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

Remote Load Units (RLUs) are deployed far from their regulated power sources. The main disadvantage facing the RLU is the power transmission loss, as the power supply cables power the RLU far away from the power supply system. Transferring the power through these cables is associated with a voltage drop which increases as the transmission distance increases. Reducing the voltage drop can be done by using cables with larger diameters. However, this method is inefficient in terms of cost and effort. To overcome this issue, the input voltage of the RLU can be controlled without the use of new heavier cables. Methods and devices for regulating the RLU voltage are provided in order to mitigate the cable voltage drop and avoid losses caused by power interruptions. In operation, the provided voltage regulation methods and devices allow the regulated power sources to supply power to the RLUs in an efficient manner.

Description

DEVICES, SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR INPUT VOLTAGE CONTROL OF REMOTE EQUIPMENT

PRIORITY

The present patent application is related to, and claims the priority benefit of, U.S Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63/337,669, filed on May 3, 2022, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety into this disclosure.

BACKGROUND

Electrically powered equipment is usually placed near its electrical source to avoid power transmission losses. However, such placement is not feasible in some situations. For example, in communication towers the baseband unit, including the power source, is located at the bottom of the tower while the radio equipment is necessarily placed at the top of the tower for a better connection. Other examples where power is supplied from a source to remotely located equipment include data centers, distribution antenna systems (DAS), crypto currency mining systems, traditional mining equipment, and in the oil and gas industry. This list is non-exhuastive and there are many applications where a power unit provides power to remotely located equipment.

Transferring power from a power supply unit to remote equipment, also known as a Remote Load Unit (RLU), is associated with a voltage drop due to cable resistance, transmission distance, and the incremental power demand from the load. The distance between the power source and the RLU increases the power loss and causes insufficient voltage levels at the equipment end. As a result, the RLU might suffer from power interruptions, power surges, and hardware or software failures. These problems not only lead to consumer dissatisfaction but also maintenance and repair costs and time costs associated with travelling to the equipment site.

Larger cables can be used to mitigate the power loss, but the resulting increase in costs is off-putting, especially for longer cable runs. Additionally, larger cables are heavier and occupy more physical space, and may not be suitable where in situations with space and weight constraints. For example, it may not be desirable to run a large diameter cable through a mineshaft or run a heavy cable up a scaffolding-like communication tower.

As such there is a need to provide remotely located equipment with reliably transmitted electricity. Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide a solution that is capable of ensuring consistent delivery of electricity without undesirable side effects, such as adding costs, weight or space as described above.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Instead of the huge cost of replacing existing power cables with larger cables to reduce the voltage drop and other costly and undesirable alternatives, the present invention introduces several methods and devices to control the input voltage of the remote equipment in order to alleviate power interruptions by providing a regulated voltage suitable for the operation of the RLU, thus compensating for the power transmission loss, reducing service providers’ losses, and reducing the operational costs. The disclosed methods and devices are able to meet load demands without the negative aspects as noted above.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a system and method for voltage regulation comprises a voltage source of a circuit that outputs an adjusted (increased or decreased) voltage, wherein the increased output voltage is sufficient to compensate for a voltage drop caused by the resistance of the wiring in the circuit such that the voltage reaching a load in the circuit is the voltage of a desired set point.

The systems and methods can include continuous monitoring of currents and voltages, wherein the output voltage is automatically or manually changed as the voltage reaching the remote equipment changes.

In an embodiment of the present invention the output voltage is increased by an amount determined according to a linear curve between pre-set voltage values.

In a further embodiment of the present invention the output voltage is increased by an amount determined according to a linear curve between two pre-set voltage values. In a further embodiment of the present invention the two pre-set voltage values correspond to no-load and a full-load. In a further embodiment of the present invention, the preset voltage values can be used as parametric inputs of the regulated voltage source (RVS) to calibrate the equipment in the field installation.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a system for voltage regulation comprises a voltage regulator or control system that instructs a voltage source of a circuit to adjust output voltage, such that the adjusted output voltage compensates for a voltage drop caused by the resistance of the wiring in the circuit. In a further embodiment of the present invention, a system and method for voltage regulation comprises a continuous voltage variation imposed on a voltage source, wherein the voltage source is connected to a remote load unit, and a voltage regulator or control system that adjusts the output voltage of the voltage source based on an estimated value of voltage at the load, wherein the estimated voltage at the load is determined from the continuous voltage variation, such that sufficient voltage to meet a specific desired voltage value of the remote load unit is delivered.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, a system and method for voltage regulation the imposed voltage variation is arbitrary and continuous. In a further embodiment of the present invention, a system and method for voltage regulation the imposed voltage variation is a continuous variation between two defined voltages.

In an embodiment of the invention, a rapid adjustment of the cable voltage is controlled by multiplying the cable drop by a number generated by dividing the measured value of the output current by a filtered value (low pass filter) of the output current.

In an embodiment of the invention, measuring voltage, measuring current, estimating voltage at the load and imposing a variation on the voltage are performed by the regulated voltage source.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosed embodiments and other features, advantages, and disclosures contained herein, and the matter of attaining them, will become apparent and the present disclosure will be better understood by reference to the following description of various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic of a regulated voltage source circuit that controls the voltage level in a remote equipment.

Fig. 2 shows a graph of regulated voltage source voltage setting based on two preset values.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic of a regulated voltage source circuit that controls the voltage level in a remote equipment by imposing an arbitrary continuous variation on the output voltage.

Fig. 4 shows a schematic of a regulated voltage source circuit that controls the voltage level in a remote equipment by imposing a two level variation on the output voltage.

Fig. 5 shows a graph of two level variation imposed on the output voltage. Fig. 6 shows a diagram of the control system of the voltage regulation circuit of regulated voltage source.

As such, an overview of the features, functions and/or configurations of the components depicted in the various figures will now be presented. It should be appreciated that not all of the features of the components of the figures are necessarily described and some of these nondiscussed features (as well as discussed features) are inherent from the figures themselves. Other non-discussed features may be inherent in component geometry and/or configuration. Furthermore, wherever feasible and convenient, like reference numerals are used in the figures and the description to refer to the same or like parts or steps. The figures are in a simplified form and not to precise scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the present disclosure, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of this disclosure is thereby intended.

The present disclosure includes methods to control the input voltage of remote equipment or remote load unit to provide a regulated voltage suitable for the operation of the RLU to alleviate the power interruptions and reduce transmission losses in the applications associated with remote equipment or remote load.

The disclosed methods are able to determine or estimate the cable voltage drop without knowing the cable gauge and cable length, or transmitting a signal over the cable to determine the cable resistance.

In the closed loop shown in Fig.l, the load is the RLU which is located at a remote location (e.g. the top of a communication tower). The power reaches the RLU from the regulated voltage source unit (RVS) by long copper cables, and the voltage drop across these cables equals the total resistance of the cable multiplied by the current flowing through it. The voltage in Fig.1 at the RLU is equal to input voltage minus the voltage drop across the wiring which is the cables. This voltage drop affects the RLU operation in a negative way for both consumers and service providers. The following methods can be used to control the input voltage of the remote equipment thereby alleviating problems caused by long distance transmission. In one embodiment of the current invention, a first method for controlling the input voltage of a remote equipment is characterized as illustrated in FIG. 1. The regulated voltage source (RVS) 100 consists of a DC voltage source 101 supplying power to the load 103 (RLU) and two measurement points at the output (voltage measurement 104 and current measurement 105) to measure the RVS output. The RVS 100 compensates for the voltage drop in the wiring resistance 102 as shown in Fig. 1. The regulated voltage source 100 provides an output voltage value according to a linear curve between two pre-set voltage values which correspond to no- load 106 (VoSetl) and full-load 107 (VoSet ) voltage levels as shown in Fig. 2. The values for no-load 106 (VoSetl) and full-load 107 (VoSetl) may be entered by a user. Values for VoSetl and VoSet2 may be determined experimentally. Preferably, the values are defined so that the resulting remote load voltage remains constant. The regulated voltage source 100 compensates the voltage drop in the wiring 102 by using a linear curve of the pre-set voltage limits according to the following formula Vo = VoSetl+ ((VoSet2~VoSetI)/IoMax) * Io as shown in Fig. 2. Wherein Vo and Io are the voltage and current of the regulated voltage source measured at the output and loMax corresponds to the maximum current of the RLU. VoSetl and VoSet2 can be used as parametric inputs of the regulated voltage source 100 to calibrate the equipment in the field installation.

Another embodiment of the current invention is performed by imposing an arbitrary continuous variation on the output of the DC voltage source 205 of the regulated voltage source unit 200. The voltage source 201 for the arbitrary and continuous variation may be an AC voltage source and is added to the DC voltage source. The resulting voltage 104 (Vo) and current 105 (Io) measurement data can be used to estimate the voltage 203 (Vload) at the load 103 as explained in detail below. A closed-loop control system 206 can then be used to adjust the RVS voltage setting by comparing the estimated voltage at the load with the target voltage, VoSet (204), as shown in Fig 3. The arbitrary continuous voltage variation imposed by the voltage source 201 can be selected to be small relative to the voltage at the load and then superimposed on the DC voltage source 205 without introducing significant changes in RLU performance.

The estimated voltage (203) at the load (103) can be derived by calculating the time derivative of the power loss formula (Vo x Io - R*Io² = Pload), where Pload is the power consumption at the load side, and assuming the Pload is constant during the time of the estimation. The estimated voltage (203) at the load point 103 (Vload) can be calculated according to the formula Vload = Vo - 0.5 x (Io x dVo/dlo +Vo) = 0.5 x (Vo - Io x dVo/dlo). The output voltage 104 with the current 105 measurement data are used to estimate the voltage 203 at the load 103 and a closed feedback loop 206 regulates the estimated voltage by adjusting the voltage of the RVS 200 (Fig. 3) to meet the desired voltage. In this embodiment, the DC voltage source is adjusted depending on the output of the closed feedback loop 206. The embodiment may use a proportional-integral controller (PI) 202 that defines the (frequency dependent) response based on input (VoSet - Vload calculated) given. This is to ensure a stable control loop. The arbitrary and continuous variation can be maintained on the DC voltage source so any changes in load can be quickly compensated for.

Another embodiment of the current invention is to impose a continuous variation between two defined voltages. As shown in Fig. 4, a continuous two level variation 301 is added to the RVS 300 to estimate the voltage at the load 103 to compensate for the wiring loss 102. These two voltages can be generated by injecting a square waveform, a trapezoidal waveform, or any other suitable periodic waveform. The currents associated with these two voltages are measured, and the voltages along with the two resulting currents are used to derive the average voltage at the point of the load. A voltage regulator is implemented to control the output of the power supply in order for the voltage received at the RLU to meet a specific set voltage value. Any changes in load demand can be compensated for by maintaining the continuous two level variation 301 and determining the compensation needed as described below.

As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig.6, the measurement voltages and currents Vol (302), Vo2 (303), lol (305) and Io2 (304) signals are sampled and pre-filtered. By assuming the power consumption at RLU 103 is constant during the period of the injected waveform, the pre-filtered Vol (302), Vo2 (303), lol (305) and Io2 (304) values can be used to calculate the average voltage at the load (Vload) 306 with the formula:

If the rate of change of the load 103 power consumption is very small compared to the period of the injected waveform, the power consumption can be considered constant and thus the above formula can still be considered valid.

The estimated calculated Vload voltage 306 is then compared to the desired set point of the voltage at the load (Voset) 307. The difference between these two values is the input to a proportional -integral regulator. The output of the regulator 308 can be interpreted as the voltage drop in the wiring 102. Then, the calculated voltage drop 308 is added to the desired set point of the voltage at the load 307 to derive the power supply voltage setting 309. A two-level voltage waveform 310 (e.g., a square wave or other suitable wave) is then added to the set point of the power supply voltage setting 309 to generate the necessary continuous variation between two defined voltage levels 311 for estimating the voltage at the input of the RLU 306.

In addition, a rapid adjustment of the cable voltage drop can be controlled by multiplying the cable drop 308 by a number generated by dividing the measured value of the output current 112 by a filtered value (low pass filter) of the output current 113. With this approach, the control system is able to react quickly to rapid load changes. This multiplied cable drop can then be added to the desired set point of the voltage at the load to derive the power supply voltage setting, as described above.

The previously described embodiments may be used to continuously monitor the voltage and current reaching the RLU. Adjustments to voltage settings or output may be made automatically or manually as desired as the voltages reaching the RLU change or as RLU demands change.

While various embodiments of devices and systems and methods for using the same have been described in considerable detail herein, the embodiments are merely offered as non-limiting examples of the disclosure described herein. It will therefore be understood that various changes and modifications may be made, and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The present disclosure is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting with respect to the content thereof.

Further, in describing representative embodiments, the present disclosure may have presented a method and/or a process as a particular sequence of steps. However, to the extent that the method or process does not rely on the particular order of steps set forth therein, the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described, as other sequences of steps may be possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps disclosed herein should not be construed as limitations of the present disclosure. In addition, disclosure directed to a method and/or process should not be limited to the performance of their steps in the order written. Such sequences may be varied and still remain within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A regulated voltage source (RVS) for controlling the input voltage of a remote equipment or remote load unit (RLU), comprising: a voltage source; at least one voltage sensor and at least one current sensor which are used to measure an output voltage and an output current at the voltage source; and a voltage regulation system which compensates for a cable voltage drop between the voltage source and the RLU by adjusting the output voltage of the regulated voltage source to a value which allows the RLU to receive a suitable voltage level from the power transmission; and wherein the RVS measures the output voltage and/or output current and sets an output voltage value according to a linear curve between two pre-set voltage values entered by the user which correspond to a no-load (VoSetV) and full-load (VoSet2) voltage levels.

2. A regulated voltage source (RVS) for controlling the input voltage of a remote load unit (RLU), comprising: at least one voltage sensor and at least one current sensor which are used to measure an output voltage and an output current at the RVS output; a voltage regulation system which compensates for a cable voltage drop between the RVS and the RLU by increasing the output voltage of the RVS to a value which allows the RLU to receive a suitable voltage level from the power transmission; and wherein a voltage source imposes an arbitrary variation on the output voltage so the voltage regulation system may use the arbitrary variation to estimate a voltage at the load point and use the estimated voltage at the load point as an input for a closed-loop regulator to control the voltage at the input of the RLU by adjusting the voltage set point of the RVS.

3. The RVS from claim 2, wherein the arbitrary variation imposed by the voltage source is between two or more defined voltage levels and the current and voltage measurements at the output of the RVS are used to estimate the voltage at the load point.

4. The RVS from claims 2 and 3, wherein the arbitrary variation imposed by the voltage source can be represented by a square waveform, a trapezoidal waveform, a sinusoidal waveform, or any other periodic waveform.

5. The RVS from claims 2, 3, and 4, wherein the current and voltage measurements at the output of the RVS are sampled and pre fdtered to produce more accurate calculations.

6. The RVS from claims 2, 3, 4, and 5, wherein the arbitrary variation on the output voltage imposed by the RVS is selected to be small relative to the supply voltage at the load to avoid introducing significant changes in RLU performance.

7. The RVS from claims 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, wherein the voltage regulator can have a fast adaption of cable voltage drop in order to react on fast load changes by having a current measurement feedback to the voltage reference creation circuit of the RVS.

8. The RVS from claim 7, wherein the fast adaption of cable voltage can be implemented by multiplying the calculated cable drop by a number generated by dividing the measured value of the output current by a filtered value (low pass filter) of the output current.

9. The RVS from claims 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, wherein the RVS can have an upper and lower limit in setting its measured parameters to avoid exceeding the circuit rating or getting a false measurement.

10. The RVS of claim 1, forming part of a system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment, comprising: the RVS providing power to a RLU; a control system which compensates for a cable voltage drop between the RVS and the RLU by instructing the RVS to output a voltage which allows the RLU to receive a suitable voltage; and wherein the RVS produces an output voltage according to a curve between two pre-set voltage values entered by the user which correspond to a no-load (VoSetV) and full-load (VoSetl) voltage levels to provide the suitable voltage.

11. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 10, wherein the curve is determined by the measured output voltage. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 10 or 11, wherein the curve is determined by the measured output current. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 10, 11, or 12, wherein the curve is determined by the maximum current of the RLU. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 10, 11, 12, or 13, wherein the shape of the curve is a linear curve. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 10 or 14, wherein the control system comprises a voltage regulation circuit in the RVS. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 10, wherein the two pre-set voltage values are used as parametric inputs of the RVS to calibrate the RLU in a field installation. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 10, wherein the two pre-set voltage values are defined so that a resulting remote voltage load remains constant. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 10, wherein the output voltage is DC voltage. The RVS of claim 1, forming part of a system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment comprising: the RVS providing power to the remote load unit RLU; a second voltage source which imposes a voltage variation on an output voltage from the RVS; a current measurement sensor and a voltage measurement sensor for measuring an output current and the output voltage of the RVS; a control system which compensates for a cable voltage drop between the RVS and the RLU by instructing the RVS to output a voltage which allows the RLU to receive a suitable voltage; and wherein the RVS produces an output voltage based on an estimated voltage at the load, wherein the estimated voltage at the load is based on the output current measured at the current measurement sensor and the output voltage measured at the voltage measurement sensor.

20. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 19, wherein the voltage variation imposed on the output voltage by the voltage source does not introduce significant changes in RLU performance.

21. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 20, wherein the power consumption of the RLU during the voltage variation is unchanged.

22. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 21, wherein the estimated voltage is also based on the power consumption of the RLU during the voltage variation being unchanged.

23. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claims 20, 21, and 22, wherein the voltage variation is arbitrary and continuous.

24. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 23, wherein the voltage source is an AC voltage source and is imposed on a DC voltage source within the RVS to produce the output voltage.

25. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 24, wherein the DC voltage source is adjusted based on the estimated voltage at the load so that the RLU may receive a suitable voltage.

26. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 25, wherein control system comprises a proportional integral control er which controls the adjustment of the DC voltage source.

27. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claims 20, 21, and 22, wherein the variation is a continuous two level voltage variation between two defined voltages.

28. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 26, wherein the continuous two level voltage variation is represented by a square waveform, a trapezoidal waveform, a sinusoidal waveform, or any other periodic waveform.

29. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 27 or 28, wherein the estimated voltage at the load is determined based on a first output voltage measured when the two level voltage variation is at a first defined voltage and a second output voltage measured when the two level voltage variation is at a second defined voltage. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 27, 28, or 29, wherein the estimated voltage at the load is determined based on a first output current measured when the two level voltage variation is at a first defined voltage and a second output current measured when the two level voltage variation is at a second defined voltage. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 30, wherein the first voltage measurement, second voltage measurement, first current measurement, and the second current measurement are sampled and pre-filtered before determining the estimated voltage at the load. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 31, wherein the output voltage comprises a DC voltage source, and the DC voltage source is adjusted based on the estimated voltage at the load so that the RLU may receive a suitable voltage. The RVS of claim 1, forming part of a system for voltage regulation of remote equipment comprising: the RVS providing power to the remote load unit RLU; a second voltage source which imposes an arbitrary and continuous variation on a voltage output from the RVS; a current measurement sensor and a voltage measurement sensor for measuring an output current and the output voltage of the voltage source; a control system which compensates for the cable voltage drop between the voltage source and a connected RLU by instructing the regulated voltage source to output a voltage which allows the RLU to receive a suitable voltage; and wherein the RVS outputs a voltage according to an estimated voltage at the load, wherein the estimated voltage at the load is based on a current measured at the current measurement sensor and a voltage measured at the voltage measurement sensor.

34. The RVS of claim 1, forming part of a system for voltage regulation of remote equipment comprising: a voltage source; wherein a continuous two level variation is imposed on a voltage output by the voltage source; a current measurement sensor and a voltage measurement sensor for measuring an output current and the output voltage of the voltage source; a control system which compensates for the cable voltage drop between the voltage source and the connected RLU by instructing the regulated voltage source to output a voltage which allows the RLU to receive a suitable voltage; and wherein the voltage source outputs a voltage according to an estimated voltage at the load, wherein the estimated voltage at the load is based on a current measured at the current measurement sensor and a voltage measured at the voltage measurement sensor.

35. The RVS of claim 1, used in a method of voltage regulation for remote equipment, comprising the steps of: inputting a first voltage value corresponding to no-load from the remote equipment and a second voltage value corresponding to full-load from the remote equipment into the RVS; measuring an output voltage and an output current exiting the RVS; and compensating for a cable voltage drop from the cabling between the RVS and the remote equipment, by instructing the RVS to output a compensated voltage based on a linear curve of the pre-set voltage limits, wherein the linear curve is derived based on the measured output voltage, output current, and a maximum current of the remote equipment.

36. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment of claim 35, wherein the first voltage value and the second voltage value are defined in a way that a resulting remote load voltage remains constant.

37. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment of claim 35, further comprising the step of using the first voltage value and the second voltage value as parametric inputs of the RVS to calibrate the remote equipment.

38. The RVS of claim 1, used in a method of voltage regulation for remote equipment, comprising the steps of: imposing a voltage variation on a voltage from the RVS to produce an output voltage; measuring the output voltage and an output current from the RVS; estimating a load voltage reaching the remote equipment from the RVS based on the output voltage and output current of the RVS; and using a control system to adjust a RVS voltage setting based on the estimated voltage such that the load voltage reaching the remote equipment is a target voltage.

39. The RVS of claim 1, used in a method of voltage regulation for remote equipment, comprising the steps of: imposing an arbitrary and continuous variation on a voltage from the RVS to produce an output voltage; measuring the output voltage and an output current from the RVS; estimating a load voltage reaching the remote equipment from the RVS based on the output voltage and output current of the RVS; and using a control system to adjust a RVS voltage setting based on the estimated voltage such that the load voltage reaching the remote equipment is a target voltage.

40. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 39, wherein the arbitrary and continuous variation is from an AC voltage source, and imposed on a DC voltage source within the RVS to create the output voltage.

41. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 39, wherein the control system is a closed loop control system.

42. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 40, further comprising the step of selecting the arbitrary and continuous variation to be small relative to the load voltage so that the arbitrary and continuous variation does not introduce significant changes in the performance of the remote equipment.

43. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 42, wherein the step of estimating the load voltage further comprises estimating the load voltage based on a power consumption at the load being constant during the time of estimation.

44. The RVS of claim 1, used in a method of voltage regulation for remote equipment, comprising the steps of: imposing a continuous two level variation on a voltage from the RVS to produce an output voltage, wherein the two level variation occurs between two defined voltages; measuring a first output voltage, a second output voltage, a first output current, and a second output current of the RVS, wherein the measurements are made when the continuous two level variation is at the two defined voltages; estimating a load voltage reaching the remote equipment from the RVS based on the first output voltage, the second output voltage, the first output current, and the second output current of the voltage source; using a control system to adjust the RVS voltage setting based on the estimated voltage such that the load voltage reaching the remote equipment is a target voltage.

45. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 44, wherein the continuous two level voltage variation is represented by a square waveform, a trapezoidal waveform, a sinusoidal waveform, or any other periodic waveform.

46. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 44, further comprising the step of sampling and pre-filtering the first voltage measurement, second voltage measurement, first current measurement, and the second current measurement and using the sampled and pre-filtered values to determine the estimated voltage at the load.

47. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 44, wherein the control system is a closed loop control system.

48. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 44, wherein the voltage is a DC voltage and the step of using a control system to adjust the RVS voltage further comprises the step of adjusting the DC voltage based on the estimated voltage.

49. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 44, further comprising the step of selecting the two-level variation to be small relative to the load voltage so that the two-level variation does not introduce significant changes in the performance of the remote equipment.

50. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 49, wherein the step of estimating the load voltage further comprises estimating the load voltage based on a power consumption at the load being constant during the time of estimation.

51. A method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 39 further comprising the steps of: compensating for a rapid cable voltage drop by increasing the RYS voltage setting based on the measured output current and a filtered value of the output current.

52. A method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 44 further comprising the steps of: compensating for a rapid cable voltage drop by increasing the RVS voltage setting based on the measured first or second output current and a filtered value of the first or second output current, respectively.

53. A method for a rapid adjustment of cable voltage drop comprising the steps of: multiplying a cable drop between a regulated voltage source and a remote equipment by a number generated by dividing the measured value of the output current by a filtered value of the output current and adding the resulting value to a voltage setting of the regulated voltage source.

54. A system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment, comprising: a regulated voltage source (RVS) providing power to a remote load unit (RLU); a current measurement sensor and a voltage measurement sensor for measuring an output current and an output voltage of the RVS; a control system which compensates for a cable voltage drop between the RVS and the RLU by instructing the RVS to output a voltage which allows the RLU to receive a suitable voltage; and wherein the RVS produces an output voltage according to a curve between two pre-set voltage values entered by the user which correspond to a no-load (Vo etl) and full-load (VoSetZ) voltage levels to provide the suitable voltage. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 54, wherein the curve is determined by the measured output voltage. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 54 or 55, wherein the curve is determined by the measured output current. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 54, 55, or 56, wherein the curve is determined by the maximum current of the RLU. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 54, 55, 56, or 57, wherein the shape of the curve is a linear curve. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 54 or 58, wherein the control system comprises a voltage regulation circuit in the RVS. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 54, wherein the two pre-set voltage values are used as parametric inputs of the RVS to calibrate the RLU in a field installation. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 54 wherein the two pre-set voltage values are defined so that a resulting remote voltage load remains constant. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 54, wherein the output voltage is DC voltage. A system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment comprising: a regulated voltage source (RVS) providing power to a remote load unit (RLU); a voltage source which imposes a voltage variation on an output voltage from the RVS; a current measurement sensor and a voltage measurement sensor for measuring an output current and the output voltage of the voltage source; a control system which compensates for a cable voltage drop between the RVS and the RLU by instructing the RVS to output a voltage which allows the RLU to receive a suitable voltage; and wherein the RVS produces an output voltage based on an estimated voltage at the load, wherein the estimated voltage at the load is based on the output current measured at the current measurement sensor and the output voltage measured at the voltage measurement sensor.

64. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 63, wherein the voltage variation imposed on the output voltage by the voltage source does not introduce significant changes in RLU performance.

65. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 64, wherein the power consumption of the RLU during the voltage variation is unchanged.

66. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 65, wherein the estimated voltage is also based on the power consumption of the RLU during the voltage variation being unchanged.

67. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claims 64, 65, and 66, wherein the voltage variation is arbitrary and continuous.

68. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 67, wherein the voltage source is an AC voltage source and is imposed on a DC voltage source within the RVS to produce the output voltage.

69. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 68, wherein the DC voltage source is adjusted based on the estimated voltage at the load so that the RLU may receive a suitable voltage.

70. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 69, wherein control system comprises a proportional -integral controller which controls the adjustment of the DC voltage source. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claims 64, 65, and 66, wherein the variation is a continuous two level voltage variation between two defined voltages. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 71, wherein the continuous two level voltage variation is represented by a square waveform, a trapezoidal waveform, a sinusoidal waveform, or any other periodic waveform. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 71 or 72, wherein the estimated voltage at the load is determined based on a first output voltage measured when the two level voltage variation is at a first defined voltage and a second output voltage measured when the two level voltage variation is at a second defined voltage. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 71, 72, or 73, wherein the estimated voltage at the load is determined based on a first output current measured when the two level voltage variation is at a first defined voltage and a second output current measured when the two level voltage variation is at a second defined voltage. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 74, wherein the first voltage measurement, second voltage measurement, first current measurement, and the second current measurement are sampled and pre-filtered before determining the estimated voltage at the load. The system for voltage regulation of the input voltage of remote equipment of claim 75, wherein the output voltage comprises a DC voltage source, and the DC voltage source is adjusted based on the estimated voltage at the load so that the RLU may receive a suitable voltage. A system for voltage regulation of remote equipment comprising: a regulated voltage source (RVS) providing power to a remote load unit (RLU); a second voltage source which imposes an arbitrary and continuous variation on a voltage output from the RVS; a current measurement sensor and a voltage measurement sensor for measuring an output current and the output voltage of the voltage source; a control system which compensates for the cable voltage drop between the voltage source and a connected RLU by instructing the regulated voltage source to output a voltage which allows the RLU to receive a suitable voltage; and wherein the RVS outputs a voltage according to an estimated voltage at the load, wherein the estimated voltage at the load is based on a current measured at the current measurement sensor and a voltage measured at the voltage measurement sensor. A system for voltage regulation of remote equipment comprising: a voltage source; wherein a continuous two level variation is imposed on a voltage output by the voltage source; a current measurement sensor and a voltage measurement sensor for measuring an output current and the output voltage of the voltage source; a control system which compensates for the cable voltage drop between the voltage source and a connected RLU by instructing the regulated voltage source to output a voltage which allows the RLU to receive a suitable voltage; and wherein the voltage source outputs a voltage according to an estimated voltage at the load, wherein the estimated voltage at the load is based on a current measured at the current measurement sensor and a voltage measured at the voltage measurement sensor. A method of voltage regulation for remote equipment, comprising the steps of: inputting a first voltage value corresponding to no-load from the remote equipment and a second voltage value corresponding to full-load from the remote equipment into a regulated voltage source (RVS); measuring an output voltage and an output current exiting the RVS; and compensating for a cable voltage drop from the cabling between the RVS and the remote equipment, by instructing the RVS to output a compensated voltage based on a linear curve of the pre-set voltage limits, wherein the linear curve is derived based on the measured output voltage, output current, and a maximum current of the remote equipment.

80. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment of claim 79, wherein the first voltage value and the second voltage value are defined in a way that a resulting remote load voltage remains constant.

81. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment of claim 79, further comprising the step of using the first voltage value and the second voltage value as parametric inputs of the RVS to calibrate the remote equipment.

82. A method of voltage regulation for remote equipment, comprising the steps of: imposing a voltage variation on a voltage from a regulated voltage source (RVS) to produce an output voltage; measuring the output voltage and an output current from the RVS; estimating a load voltage reaching the remote equipment from the RVS based on the output voltage and output current of the RVS; and using a control system to adjust a RVS voltage setting based on the estimated voltage such that the load voltage reaching the remote equipment is a target voltage.

83. A method of voltage regulation for remote equipment, comprising the steps of: imposing an arbitrary and continuous variation on a voltage from a regulated voltage source (RVS) to produce an output voltage; measuring the output voltage and an output current from the RVS; estimating a load voltage reaching the remote equipment from the RVS based on the output voltage and output current of the RVS; and using a control system to adjust a RVS voltage setting based on the estimated voltage such that the load voltage reaching the remote equipment is a target voltage.

84. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 83, wherein the arbitrary and continuous variation is from an AC voltage source, and imposed on a DC voltage source within the RVS to create the output voltage.

85. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 83, wherein the control system is a closed loop control system.

86. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 84, further comprising the step of selecting the arbitrary and continuous variation to be small relative to the load voltage so that the arbitrary and continuous variation does not introduce significant changes in the performance of the remote equipment.

87. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 86, wherein the step of estimating the load voltage further comprises estimating the load voltage based on a power consumption at the load being constant during the time of estimation.

88. A method of voltage regulation for remote equipment, comprising the steps of: imposing a continuous two level variation on a voltage from a regulated voltage source (RYS) to produce an output voltage, wherein the two level variation occurs between two defined voltages; measuring a first output voltage, a second output voltage, a first output current, and a second output current of the RVS, wherein the measurements are made when the continuous two level variation is at the two defined voltages; estimating a load voltage reaching the remote equipment from the RVS based on the first output voltage, the second output voltage, the first output current, and the second output current of the voltage source; using a control system to adjust the RVS voltage setting based on the estimated voltage such that the load voltage reaching the remote equipment is a target voltage.

89. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 88, wherein the continuous two level voltage variation is represented by a square waveform, a trapezoidal waveform, a sinusoidal waveform, or any other periodic waveform.

90. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 88, further comprising the step of sampling and pre-filtering the first voltage measurement, second voltage measurement, first current measurement, and the second current measurement and using the sampled and pre-filtered values to determine the estimated voltage at the load.

91. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 88, wherein the control system is a closed loop control system.

92. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 88, wherein the voltage is a DC voltage and the step of using a control system to adjust the RVS voltage further comprises the step of adjusting the DC voltage based on the estimated voltage.

93. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 88, further comprising the step of selecting the two-level variation to be small relative to the load voltage so that the two-level variation does not introduce significant changes in the performance of the remote equipment.

94. The method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 93, wherein the step of estimating the load voltage further comprises estimating the load voltage based on a power consumption at the load being constant during the time of estimation.

95. A method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 83 further comprising the steps of: compensating for a rapid cable voltage drop by increasing the RVS voltage setting based on the measured output current and a filtered value of the output current.

96. A method of voltage regulation for remote equipment as in claim 88 further comprising the steps of: compensating for a rapid cable voltage drop by increasing the RVS voltage setting based on the measured first or second output current and a filtered value of the first or second output current, respectively.

97. A method for a rapid adjustment of cable voltage drop comprising the steps of: multiplying a cable drop between a regulated voltage source and a remote equipment by a number generated by dividing the measured value of the output current by a filtered value of the output current and adding the resulting value to a voltage setting of the regulated voltage source.