99% Efficient Isolated Three-Phase Matrix-Type DAB Buck–Boost PFC Rectifier

Three-phase power factor correction rectifiers are an essential area of power electronics, supplying a direct current load with tens of kilowatts, or more, from the public three-phase mains and achieving sinusoidal input currents. In many applications, isolation is required between the mains and the load, for example, due to safety reasons or different grounding schemes. This paper describes the modulation, design, and realization of a buck-boost-type, unity-power-factor, isolated matrix-type, dual-active-bridge, three-phase rectifier. It uses a circuit similar to a conventional dual-active-bridge converter, but employs a direct matrix converter to connect the high-frequency transformer's primary winding to the mains. A soft-switching modulation scheme is proposed and comprehensively analyzed, deriving closed-form solutions and numerical optimization problems to calculate switching times that achieve minimal conduction losses. Based on this analysis, the design of an 8-kW 400-V rms three-phase ac to 400-V dc prototype is discussed, striving for the highest possible efficiency. Using 900-V SiC MOSFETs and a transformer with an integrated inductor, a power density of 4 kW · dm
^-3
(66 W · in
^-3
) is achieved. Measurement results confirm an ultrahigh full-power efficiency of 99.0% at nominal operating conditions and 98.7% at 10% lower input voltage.