Design and loss analysis of the high frequency PFC converter

Power Factor Correction (PFC) converter is a key component in modern switching power supplies, while high efficiency and high power density are the main goals of PFC converter. In this paper, taking a single-phase Boost circuit as an example, a PFC converter with 300 kHz switching frequency and 1 kW output power which is based on continuous inductor current (CCM) mode is designed to reduce the volume of the core component and improve the power density of the converter. The paper includes the detailed design of the boost inductor, the analysis of the loss of the inductor at high frequency operation and the loss of the PFC converter. Finite element analysis is used to verify that the winding loss can be reduced by taking multi-strand wire winding. New semiconductor devices CoolMOS and SiC are employed which can reduce the loss effectively. The experimental results are provided which demonstrate that the employ of SiC diode and multi-strand wire winding can enable enhanced performance on efficiency.