An ultra flat profile natural interleaved power factor corrector with advanced power management

This paper is focused on the performance improvement of the active power factor correctors. Generally, the PFCs are designed as a single boost topology. The main disadvantages of the solution are correction performance at light load, and troublesome heat losses dissipation. The multiphase correctors solve both of these problems. The interleaved correctors enable thermally efficient cooling due to their greater surface for heat transfer. Their topology effectively reduces input current ripple and improve the performance at light load. The paper describes unconventional approach of the PCBs design and superior control system strategy. The corrector is designed as a flat profile corrector with embedded components and planar inductors. The power management is based on the STM discovery kit which provides processing of measured signals and controlling of the analog PFC controller. The experimental results when the corrector operates under as single phase and interleaved operation were used for setting the appropriate toggle borders. The results indicate that the flat profile and power management improve Power Factor (PF) and overall efficiency significantly at light load, and enable thermally efficient cooling at higher power levels as well as system reliability.