Power Factor Correction Circuit for AC to DC Converter
Strzelecka, Antonina (2025)
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025052716943
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2025052716943
Tiivistelmä
The increasing demand for energy-efficient systems and improved grid reliability has led to the adoption of strict international standards regulating power quality. Among these, IEC 61000-3-2:2014 defines permissible limits for harmonic current emissions, while the Energy Star 80 Plus program mandates a minimum power factor of 0.9 at full load and at least 80% energy conversion efficiency in power supplies.
These requirements have reduced traditional linear power supplies to being inadequate in many modern applications, due to their inability to meet harmonic and power factor standards. This has created a need for improved power supply designs that enhance power quality without introducing excessive complexity or cost.This thesis investigates methods for improving power quality, mainly focusing on passive power factor correction (PFC).
The study begins with a theoretical overview of the key concepts, including power factor, harmonics, and total harmonic distortion (THD), to provide the foundation for understanding regulatory requirements and system behavior. Subsequently, various PFC approaches are analyzed—ranging from simple passive circuits to more complex active solutions—and evaluated based on their effectiveness and practical applicability. The practical component of the work involves the simulation of AC to DC converter topologies using LTSpice and KiCad, with emphasis on their harmonic performance and power factor.
Based on these simulations, a passive PFC circuit was designed and tested. The final circuit demonstrates a cost-effective solution suitable for integration into an AC to DC converter, offering improved power quality while maintaining design simplicity.
These requirements have reduced traditional linear power supplies to being inadequate in many modern applications, due to their inability to meet harmonic and power factor standards. This has created a need for improved power supply designs that enhance power quality without introducing excessive complexity or cost.This thesis investigates methods for improving power quality, mainly focusing on passive power factor correction (PFC).
The study begins with a theoretical overview of the key concepts, including power factor, harmonics, and total harmonic distortion (THD), to provide the foundation for understanding regulatory requirements and system behavior. Subsequently, various PFC approaches are analyzed—ranging from simple passive circuits to more complex active solutions—and evaluated based on their effectiveness and practical applicability. The practical component of the work involves the simulation of AC to DC converter topologies using LTSpice and KiCad, with emphasis on their harmonic performance and power factor.
Based on these simulations, a passive PFC circuit was designed and tested. The final circuit demonstrates a cost-effective solution suitable for integration into an AC to DC converter, offering improved power quality while maintaining design simplicity.