A novel zero-voltage-switching PWM boost rectifier with high power factor and low conduction losses

This paper proposes a new single-phase high-power-factor rectifier, which features regulation by conventional pulsewidth modulation (PWM), soft commutation, and instantaneous average line current control. A new zero-voltage-switching PWM (ZVS-PWM) auxiliary circuit is configured in the presented ZVS-PWM rectifier to perform ZVS in the main switches and the passive switches, and zero-current switching in the auxiliary switch. Furthermore, soft commutation of the main switch is achieved without additional current stress by the presented ZVS-PWM auxiliary circuit. A significant reduction in the conduction losses is achieved, since the circulating current for the soft switching flows only through the auxiliary circuit and a minimum number of switching devices are involved in the circulating current path, and the proposed rectifier uses a single converter instead of the conventional configuration composed of a four-diode front-end rectifier followed by a boost converter. Nine transition states for describing the behavior of the ZVS-PWM rectifier in one switching period are described. A prototype rated at 1 kW, operating 80 kHz, with an input ac voltage of 220 V-rms and an output voltage of 400 V-dc has been implemented in the laboratory. An efficiency of 96.7 % and power factor over 0.99 has been measured. Analysis, design, and the control circuitry are also presented in this paper.