Hello and welcome to this system's level training on how to design multi-kilowatt

converters for electric vehicles. In this section, part 3, we will look at the
basics of power factor correction. So the term power factor is actually used for
two very different effects. Conventionally, it has been applied to the phase angle
between the voltage and current, as shown here. The phase shift is caused by
reactive loads, traditionally things like AC motors, for example.

This type of PF is normally called displacement power factor, and this was the
usual use of the term until the advent of significant numbers of non-linear loads,
such as switched mode power supplies. This is a linear effect. That is, both the
voltage and the current waveforms are sinusoidal. And it is normally corrected by
adding capacitance, which corrects the phase shift due to the inductive nature of
the load.

The second type of power factor is distortion power factor. And this is due to non-
linear loads. For example, a capacitor fed from a bridge rectifier. This circuit
takes current from the input for only a part of the line cycle, and the result is a
heavily-distorted waveform where a current is drawn from the line when the input
voltage is near to its peak value. Of course, this type of waveform contains
significant harmonic content. We shall see shortly that these harmonic currents can
cause several problems in the AC distribution system, and therefore they are
regulated by international standards, such as IEC61000-3-2.

The main purpose of a power factor correcter is to reduce these harmonic currents
to acceptable levels, and it does this by controlling the line current so that it
follows the line voltage. That is, a sinusoid line voltage produces a sinusoidal
line current. The usual power factor correcter stages correct distortion power
factor but not displacement power factor. Fortunately, an SMPS PFC stage does not
normally introduce significant displacement power factor, other than that due to x
capacitors used for EMI reduction.

One way to look at this is to think of the PFC stage as a resistor emulator. The
final thing I want to say is that the power factor that a system designer specifies
is usually a combination of both displacement and distortion power factors, as
shown here. The main characteristics of harmonic currents in a balanced 3 phase
system are listed here. We have assumed that the load is balanced. That is, it
draws equal currents from each phase. Analysis of unbalanced 3 phase systems is
more difficult, but utilities always try to have balanced loads on the networks.

Triplen harmonics, the third, the ninth, the 15th, et cetera, add in the neutral.
Even harmonics and other odd harmonics sum to zero in the neutral. There are a
number of effects due to harmonic currents, heating, nuisance tripping of
protection circuits, large neutral to ground voltages, et cetera, et cetera. And
power factor correctors are used to reduce these bad effects.

The most common standard governing line harmonics is IEC61000-3-2. This standard
identifies four different classes of equipment and on board chargers fall into
class A. An overview of the class A limits is given here. So this is the end of
part 3. The next video in this training session is part 4, and this is an
introduction to the boost power factor correcter.