Three‐Phase Multilevel Buck PFC Rectifier for EV Charging Application

ABSTRACT The advent of electric cars marks a major advancement in the automotive industry, with the exponential growth of electric vehicles (EVs) driven by improvements in battery technology. While these advancements have mitigated range anxiety, they have also increased the demand for energy‐efficient and high‐performance charging infrastructure. Front‐end power factor correction (PFC) rectifiers are essential for converting three‐phase AC mains voltage into a stable DC‐link voltage for EV charging. Conventional three‐phase rectifiers typically operate in a boost configuration, ensuring an output voltage higher than the peak AC input voltage for PFC and voltage regulation. However, this setup requires additional DC‐DC conversion stages to step down the voltage for battery charging, leading to increased losses and system complexity. This paper presents a novel multilevel buck PFC rectifier topology incorporating switched capacitors (SCs), specifically designed for EV charging applications. The proposed topology enhances voltage regulation, improves power conversion efficiency, and reduces voltage stress on semiconductor devices. Theoretical analysis, design considerations, and control strategies are discussed in detail. Furthermore, the feasibility of the topology is validated through a 1‐kW prototype model, demonstrating its effectiveness in practical scenarios.