Design, analysis, fabrication and testing of a 3kW power factor correction boost rectifier

Power factor correction boost (PFC-boost) converters operate near unity power factor (UPF) and are connected at the front end of many line connected PE converters. This paper presents details of the fabrication, parameter determination and load testing of a 1-φ, 230 V 50 Hz AC input, 385 V DC output, 3 kW PFC-boost rectifier. These have potential applications in switched-mode power supplies, uninterrupted power supplies, adjustable-speed drives, welding power supplies etc. PFC-boost converters cause the supply current to be in phase with the mains voltage. The selection of circuit components and the detailed modelling of the converter have also been discussed. The averaged current mode control strategy has been used here for controlling the input current. The converter has also been fabricated in the laboratory and tested with a welding PE-converter load and the results of the same are included. The effect of source inductance in response to the switching current-ripple has also been highlighted. A capacitor is connected in parallel with the input supply to prevent injection of switching current-ripple harmonics into the grid. The circuit is simulated (off-line) in SEQUEL and the results are compared with the experimentally obtained results and they are found to be in excellent mutual agreement.