Multiphase PFC Rectifier and Modulation Strategies for Domestic Induction Heating Applications

Domestic induction heating appliances have improved the final user experience due to the advantages that this technology offers, such as flexibility, fast heating, cleanness, and safety. Currently, these appliances are implemented using several isolated electronic boards to be able to be powered from one or several mains phases, enabling their use in regions with different connections. In order to enhance this approach, a multiphase power factor correction rectifier is proposed in this article, improving significantly induction heating cookers. The topology is described, and a wide variety of modulation strategies are presented and analyzed, discussing their main advantages and disadvantages according to the conduction mode, operating frequency, switching mode, and control strategy. In order to validate this proposal, an 11 kW and up-to three-phase high power-density converter for domestic induction heating applications is implemented and experimentally analyzed, including its main waveforms and efficiency. Finally, a comparative evaluation is performed to enable the selection of the optimum modulation strategy for each specific application.