Novel Single-Stage Integrated Active Filter Isolated Matrix-Type Three-Phase AC/DC Converter (IAF-iMR)

Global energy consumption in AI-related data centers is expected to double by 2026. This rapid growth necessitates an upgrade in their power supply architecture, where isolated three-phase (3-Φ) ac/dc converters serve as fundamental building blocks. However, state-of-the-art two-stage ac/dc-dc/dc converter concepts suffer from limited power conversion efficiency and power density. This paper proposes a novel three-phase integrated active filter isolated matrix-type rectifier (IAF-iMR) that enables high-efficiency, direct (single-stage) ac/dc conversion with high power density, while maintaining reduced modulation and control complexity compared to conventional isolated matrix-type ac/dc converters. By incorporating bipolar bidirectional switches, the proposed IAF-iMR directly converts low-frequency three-phase mains line-to-line voltages into a high-frequency switched ac voltage across the transformer’s primary-side winding, eliminating one power conversion stage compared to two-stage or quasi-single-stage configurations and enhancing power conversion efficiency. The paper first explains the operating principle of the IAF-iMR using equivalent circuits, which are verified by detailed circuit simulations. Furthermore, component stresses are analyzed to guide component selection, followed by a qualitative comparative evaluation against alternative isolated three-phase ac/dc converter concepts. Finally, a novel matrix-type isolated-three-phase-HFlink three-phase ac/dc converter (i3X-Rectifier) is introduced as a next-generation high-power data center power supply solution. The proposed i3X-Rectifier employs a three-phase transformer to mitigate overstress limitations of single-phase isolation transformers, improving performance and compactness.