24th International Spring Seminar on Electronics Technology

May 5-9,2001, Calimanesti-Caciulata,Romania

Power Factor Correction Circuit with a New Modified SEPIC

Converter

Ovidiu Pop, Gabriel Chindris, Alin Grama, Florin Hurgoi

Applied Electronics Department

Technical University of Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca, Cluj, 3400, Romania
Phone /Fax +40-64-194806,
E-mail:. ovipop@ ael.utcluj.ro, http:\www.utcluj .ro

Abstract

This paper presents a new topology of a SEPIC converter used in power factor correction circuits.
The conventional SEPIC converter was primarily designed to provide a non-pulsating input
current, operating with both inductors in continuous current mode and only the dc-dc conversion
was considered. The modified SEPIC converter is designed to operate as a ac-dc converter and it
can be viewed as a cascade of a modiped boost converter and a buck-boost converter. The boost
converter operates in discontinuous current mode, while the buck-boost converter operates in
continuous current mode. Since a high power factor is naturally achieved in this way, a simple
feedback control technique is needed in order to regulate the output voltage. In the paper is also
presents a calculus method for the power factor and total harmonics distortion factor for the
proposed converter.

operate with both inductors in continuous current

1. INTRODUCTION
mode and only the dc-dc conversion was considered.
The new topology is presented in figure 2. In the
Single-phase power factor correction (PFC) circuits
following , we present the operation regimes of this
are very known for many years and described in many
converter that can results in a very high input power
papers. Doubtlessly, the most popular among them are
factor and simultaneous output regulation. Referring
the circuits based on the boost dcldc converter. Such
to figure 2, the converter may be viewed as a cascade
circuits are their advantages like simplicity, high
of a modified boost converter and a buck-boost
efficiency and an close to unity power factor. The
converter. The switches are turned on and off
simple way to naturally obtain an unity power factor
synchronously.The modified boost converter operates
for this kind of circuits is to use the discontinuous
in discontinuous current mode, while the buck-boost
inductor current mode operation.
converter operates in continuous current mode. Since
The basic boost power factor correction circuit is
a high power factor is naturally achieved in this way,
shown in figure 1:
a simple feedback scheme suffices to regulate the
output.

Fig. 1. Conventional SEPIC Converter

The SEPIC converter was primarily designed to 'm

provide a non-pulsating input current. As shown in

i'Q i
figure 1, the converter has two inductors that can Fig. 2. The Proposed Converter
shape the input current and feed the output load. In its
original version, the SEPIC converter was designed to In the following , we present the operation regimes

ISSE 2001 117 0-7803-7111-9/01/$10.0002001 IEEE

 24th International Spring Seminar on Electronics Technology
May 5-9, 2001, Calimanesti-Caciulata,Romania

of this converter that can results in a very high input

power factor and simultaneous output regulation.
Referring to figure 2, the converter may be viewed as
a cascade of a modified boost converter and a buck-
boost converter. The switches are turned on and off
synchronously.The modified boost converter operates
in discontinuous current mode, while the buck-boost
converter operates in continuous current mode. Since
a high power factor is naturally achieved in this way,
a simple feedback scheme suffices to regulate the
output.
Compared with the conventional SEPIC topology
operating in the same regime, the proposed converter Fig 4. The Equivalent Circuits a) mode I
demonstrates improved operation range. The some of b)mode I1
the disadvantages of the conventional SEPIC In the steady-state, during the interval when the
converter are: switches are on (mode I), both inductance currents
0 Higher switcWdiode peak -voltage stress flow through -the switches and discharges the
compared with the proposed modified boost capacitor C (figure 4a). In the same time, the output
topology. Bellow are presented the values of the capacitor COis discharging on the load resistor. In this
switches peak voltages stress for the conventional operation mode, the following equations can be
SEPIC topology and the proposed topology: written:

Impossibility to naturally obtain a unit power

factor for higher output power. The waveforms ic =iL 1 +iL 2 (4)
for input voltage and input current for the
conventional SEPIC converter are presented in
. figure 3. (5)
When the switches are off (mode II), the current of
r----------------------------------
I
I
I
I
LI inductor flows through diodes DI and DZ,and
I I
charges up the capacitor C, while the current of L2
inductors is forced into the free-wheeling diode D4
When the value of L1 current become zero, the
charging of the capacitor stop. The current of Lz keeps
I
- - - - --- - - - - - - - - - - - r - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -l
--
free-wheeling through D4 diode. The cycle ends at the
Oms lOms 2"
instant the switches are turn on again. The previous
Fig. 3. Input Voltage and Input Current for the mentioned sequence repeats with period T,. In this
Conventional SEPIC Converter operation mode, the following equations can be
written:
2. PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION

Referring to figure 2, the value of LI is relatively

. small so that the current through L, is maintained in
. discontinuous mode. The value of L2, on the other
hand, is large enough to keep the output current in (7)
continuous mode. The operations modes of this The corresponding waveforms are presented in
converter are presented bellow: figure 5 .

3. CALCULATION OF INPUT POWER FACTOR AND

THD FOR CONSTANT-FREQUENCY OPERATION

The input power factor of the proposed converter -

under no specific control action can be calculated with
the following formula:

p.f.= e n

E,, . I 4 rms
ISSE 2001 118 0-7803-71 11-9/01/$10.00 02001 IEEE
 24th International'SpringSeminar on Electronics Technology
May 5-9, 2001, Calimanesti-Caciulata, Romania

(I+$) V, D 2 ~ s

iu
(1-6) LI

(. Esinwt)
V,D~T,
ih (ut)=
4

Hence, the power factor of the proposed converter,

with no feedforward control is:

Fig. 5. Operating Waveforms E sin at

E sin wt
(9)
0
p.j-.=g
and e ( w t ) = E sin wt , w=2.n50 rads

A simple way to calculate these values is to

calculate the average value of L, current in the steady-
state operation. Over a one switching cycle, we can Also, the total harmonic distortion (THD) can
write the following relations: be found as:

The figure 6 shows a plot of the power factor

versus ENc ratio.

ISSE 2001 119 0-7803-7111-9/01/$10.0002001 IEEE

 24th International Spring Seminar on Electronics Technology
May 5-9,200 1, Calimanesti-Caciulata, Romania

converter used in power factor correction circuits. The

1...-....,
-.... . -i modified SEPIC converter is designed to operate as a
ac-dc converter and it can be viewed as a cascade of a
modified boost converter and a buck-boost converter.
, -- The boost converter operates in discontinuous current
0 81
-- mode, while the buck-boost converter operates in
o a1 ' I ' ' I I I I I continuous current mode. Since a high power factor is
08
0 01 01 03 04 OS 06 0'7 08 09 1 naturally achieved in this way, a simple feedback
E control technique is needed in order to regulate the
-
output voltage. In the paper is also presents a calculus
vc
method for the power factor and total harmonics
Fig. 6 Power Factor Plot
distortion factor for the proposed converter.
4. SIMULATION
RESULTS The proposed converter can be a useful circuit for
power factor correction, using a modified SEPIC
For the purpose of illustration, we simulate the converter which naturally achieved a high power
proposed converter operation, using real devices for factor and a simple circuit for the output regulation. .
the converter. The simulated results should adequately
reflect the ability of the proposed topology achieving
unity power factor. The circuit simulated has
LI=20pH, L2=2mH, C=100pF, C,=220uF, RL=IOR 5. REFERENCES
and e=llOsin2n5t, with output to be regulated at 80V
and the switching frequency is 20KHz. Figure 7 show S.Cuk: Switching dc-to-dc Converter with Zero Input
"

or (Output Ripple ", Proceedings of the Industrial

the input voltage, the iL1current waveforms and the iL2
current spectrum. Applications Society Annual Meeting, Oct. 1978
C.K.Tse, M.H.L.Chow, '' Single Stage High Power
I ......................................................................................., Factor Converter Using the Sheppard-Taylor Topology,
Proc. of IEEE PESC, 1996
M. Gotfryd, "Output Voltage and Power Limits in
Boost Power Factor Corrector Operating in
Discontinuous Inductor Current Mode", IEEE
Transactions on Power Electronics, vol. 15, Jan., 2000
H.Braga, Ivo Barbi, "A Unity Power Factor
Rectifier Based on a Two-Cell Boost Converter
Using a New Parallel-Connection Technique",
Proc. Of IEEE PESC, 1996
L.Huber, M.Jovanovic, "Single-Stage Single-
Switch Input-Current-Shaping Technique with
Fast-Output-Voltage Regulation", IEEE
Transactions on Power Electronics, vol. 13, May,
,m ............................................................................................ 1998
i R.\Y.Erickson, "Fundamental of Power Electronics",
Kluwer Academic Publisher, 1999
Mohan, T.M.Undeland, W.P.Robbins, "Power
Electronics:Converters, Applications and Design", 2"d
Edition, John Willey&Sons,Inc, New York,

0 111
Frlg"e"Cy

Fig. 7. a) Input Voltage, iL1Current Waveforms b)

i~~Current Spectrum.

5. CONCLUSIONS

This paper presents a new topology of a SEPIC

ISSE 2001 120 0-7803-7111-9/01/$10.0002001 IEEE