Digital power-factor correction for a capacitor-charging power supply

The design and construction of a low-power low-cost power supply capable of charging an energy storage capacitor from a 120-V ac source and capable of power-factor correction (PFC) is presented. The load that is generally connected to a capacitor-charging power supply (CCPS) is a pulsed power load (i.e., laser, cardiac defibrillator, or flash lamp). A flyback converter was incorporated into the CCPS because it is capable of charging a capacitor while maintaining a high power factor. The control system of the CCPS uses peak current control to achieve PFC and is implemented using standard "off-the-shelf" digital logic components. A 300-V prototype has been constructed and tested. The experimental results show that a high power factor is obtained by the CCPS utilizing a flyback converter and the digital logic control system.