New single-stage PFC regulator using the Sheppard-Taylor topology

Abstract

This paper describes a new usage of the DC/DC converter developed by D.I. Sheppard and B.E. Taylor in 1983 for achieving high power factor and output regulation. This converter may be viewed as a cascade of a modified boost stage and a buck stage, with the two stages sharing the same active switch. Two possible operation regimes are described. In the first regime, the converter's input part, which is a modified boost converter, operates in discontinuous mode, and the output part, which is a buck converter, operates in continuous mode. In this regime, high power factor is naturally achieved, and the output voltage is regulated by duty-cycle modulation via a simple output feedback. In the second regime, the input part operates in continuous mode, and the output part operates in discontinuous mode, with duty-cycle modulation maintaining a high power factor and frequency modulation regulating the output. Some comparisons between the Sheppard-Taylor converter and conventional boost and buck cascade are given in the paper.