High-Performance Multilevel Power Factor Correction Boost-Buck Converter

This paper introduces a multilevel power factor correction converter in a 2-stage configuration. The first stage is a 3-phase, 3-level boost rectifier based on the Vienna rectifier. Compared to the other types of rectifier, Vienna rectifier has the lowest number of active switches and passive components size, while being able to reach a higher efficiency and lower THD. Furthermore, the switching loss is further reduced by using simplified space vector modulation, which allows for only one switch transient per state transient. In order to overcome its high boosting ratio and regulate its output voltage within the required range of battery charging in electric vehicles, a high efficiency 4 switch converter is cascaded with the Vienna rectifier. This converter has the advantages of employing storage-less passive components and providing for zero current switching (ZCS) among all of its switches. The peak efficiency of this converter is nearly 99%; hence, it will not affect the total system efficiency. A description of the converter configuration is first introduced. Then, the simulation results are presented to verify the validity of the proposed configuration.