Performance analysis of a bridgeless power factor correction (PFC) buck–boost LED driver with ripple diversion scheme for extended lifespan

Abstract

SummaryIn the state of the art of AC‐fed light‐emitting diode (LED) drivers, power factor correction (PFC), second harmonic LED current ripple elimination, low current total harmonic distortion (iTHD), removal of electrolytic capacitors (EC) and flicker‐free operation are the major challenging issues. This paper proposes a bridgeless universal voltagerange AC‐fed LED driver that overcome the major issues of LED driver. The bridgeless buck–boost PFC configuration minimizes the losses relative to the front‐end bridge rectifier‐based configurations. Operating in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM), the source current tracks the input voltage shape for a wide operating range, achieves inherent PFC and maintains low input current THD. Also, this provides significant reduction in the output current ripple with the ripple diversion circuit (RDC) connected in shunt across the LED load, which relatively reduces and utilizes low value of output capacitance. Hence, a flicker‐free operation is achieved without the use of electrolytic capacitors. In addition, the elimination of ECs improves the operating lifespan of the proposed LED driver. A detailed theoretical analysis and results of the proposed LED driver are validated on DSP and analog controller platforms with a 62 W/62 V experimental laboratory prototype. The experimental results confirm that the proposed LED driver achieves a power factor of 0.94–0.997, input current THD of maximum 6.8%, output current ripple of 5%, and a peak efficiency of 91.25% for the wide range of input voltage variation. These indices also satisfy IEC‐61000‐3‐2 and IEEE 1789‐2015 standard limits.