Power Integrations' HiperPFS design enables 97 percent-efficient active power factor correction in a 900-W power supply

SAN JOSE, USA: Power Integrations has published a new design example report (DER-274) describing a 900-watt power supply with 97 percent-efficient active power factor correction (PFC). Based on the company’s HiperPFS family of highly integrated, high-efficiency PFC controller ICs, the design offers a smaller, lighter, higher efficiency alternative to passive PFC solutions for white goods, blowers, computers/servers, power supplies, and motor control drives.

The HiperPFS family of PFC controllers incorporates a continuous conduction mode (CCM) boost PFC controller, gate driver, and high-voltage power MOSFET in a single, low-profile eSIP package. Suitable for PFC applications from 85 W to 1 kW, HiperPFS devices employ an innovative control scheme that optimizes efficiency over the entire load range of the converter, particularly at light loads. This variable-frequency control technique also significantly reduces EMI filtering requirements due to its wide-bandwidth, spread-spectrum effect.

Compared with designs that use discrete MOSFETs and controllers, HiperPFS devices dramatically reduce component count and board footprint, while simplifying system design and enhancing reliability.

The power supply detailed in DER-274, based on HiperPFS part number PFS729EG, is a general-purpose, high-efficiency evaluation platform that operates from 180 VAC to 264 VAC input and provides a regulated 380 VDC output voltage and a continuous output power of 900 W at 25ºC.

Edward Ong, product marketing manager, said: “The HiperPFS family stands apart from competing PFC solutions for the high efficiency and high power factor that can be achieved across the load range, as well its ease of use and low external parts count. Designers of white goods, blowers, and water pump applications can use HiperPFS to meet high power factor and line harmonic standards.”

HiperPFS ICs include Power Integrations’ standard set of comprehensive safety features, such as integrated soft-start, undervoltage, overvoltage, brown-in/out, and hysteretic thermal shutdown protection. HiperPFS also provides cycle-by-cycle current limit for the power MOSFET, power limiting of the output for over-load protection, and pin-to-pin short-circuit protection.