| Abstract |
To reduce the amplitude of the higher harmonics of the line current, rectifiers with both active and
passive filters are widely used. These so called Power Factor Corrector’s (PFC’s) can be grouped into
three kinds: active PFC, passive PFC and hybrid PFC. The active PFC’s draw a ‘perfect’ line current
from the mains but due to the HF switching process additional noise and losses are introduced.
Passive PFC’s are very simple to apply but they are bulky and stabilisation of the DC output voltage
is absent. Although the line current is distorted with higher harmonics, the passive PFC complies
with the IEC-61000-3-2 guideline if the filter inductor value is properly designed. A further
reduction of the size and weight of the filter inductor of the passive PFC is possible if the hybrid PFC
method is applied. The hybrid PFC exists of a parallel connection of a passive and an active PFC. In
this paper the design of a 1 kW hybrid PFC is described which complies with the IEC-61000-3-2
guideline. The main objective of the hybrid PFC design is to reduce the size and cost of a passive
PFC, without adding complexity too much. |
