A bidirectional AC-DC power converter with power factor correction

This paper presents new operation and performance of a thyristor-based AC-DC current-controlled boost-type converter that allows bidirectional power handling capability and provides input power factor correction and a near-sinusoidal input current waveform. The new converter can reduce harmonic pollution and disturbance on the supply mains. The feature of bidirectional power flow allows the stored energy in loads, such as motors, to regenerate back to the supply source, leading to an increase in overall energy efficiency and possibly a reduction in the size of the DC link capacitor. The operation is confirmed with the successful implementation of an experimental prototype.