A comparative study of single-phase power factor correctors: Modeling, steady-state analysis, tracking ability and design criteria

Power Factor Correction (PFC) circuits are widely used in single-phase rectifiers in order to emulate a pure resistive behavior. Several PFC topologies were introduced in the last thirty years, depending on the required source-load characteristics and system performance. This paper is dedicated to the comparative study of the most popular PFC converters, with an emphasis on their major features, their benefits and limitations in terms of performance. More specifically, the averaged model of each topology is presented, on the basis of which steady-state characteristics, current tracking ability and design criteria are elaborated and analyzed.