Power factor corrected welding power supply using modified zeta converter

Abstract

A power factor (PF) corrected single stage, two-switch isolated zeta converter is proposed for arc welding. This modified zeta converter is having two switches and two clamping diodes on the primary side of a high-frequency transformer. This, in turn, results in reduced switch stress. The proposed converter is designed to operate in a discontinuous inductor current mode (DICM) to achieve inherent PF correction at the utility. The DICM operation substantially reduces the complexity of the control and effectively regulates the output dc voltage. The proposed converter offers several features, such as inherent overload current limit and fast parametrical response, to the load and source voltage conditions. This, in turn, results in an improved performance in terms of power quality indices and an enhanced weld bead quality. The proposed modified zeta converter is designed and its performance is simulated in the MATLAB/Simulink environment. Simulated results are also verified experimentally on a developed prototype of the converter. The performance of the system is investigated in terms of its input PF, displacement PF, total harmonic distortion of ac mains current, voltage regulation, and robustness to prove its efficacy in overall performance.