Single-phase three-level boost power factor correction converter

In many single-phase power factor correction (PFC) applications, the power level can reach several kilowatts; and in some situations, the input voltage can be quite high too. For high power and/or high voltage applications, the major concerns of the conventional boost PFC converter are the inductor volume and weight, and losses on the power devices, which will affect converter cost, efficiency, and power density. In this paper, a three-level boost converter is adopted for single-phase PFC, which uses a much smaller inductor and lower voltage devices than the conventional boost PFC converter does, yielding high power density, high efficiency, and low cost.<>