This paper reports slow-scale instability in a single-stage power-factor-correction (PFC) power supply, which is a popular design solution for low power applications. The circuit employs a cascade configuration of a boost converter and a forward converter, which share an active switch and operate in discontinuous-conduction mode (DCM), to provide input PFC and tight output regulation. Main results are given by “exact” cycle-by-cycle circuit simulations. The effect of the slow-scale instability on the attainable power factor is illustrated in terms of total harmonic distortion which can be found by taking the fast Fourier transform of the input current. The slow-scale instability usually manifests itself as local oscillations within a line cycle. Based on the critical condition of DCM for the buck converter, the underlying mechanism of such instability is further investigated. It has been found that border collision is the underlying cause of the phenomenon. Moreover, it has been shown that the border collision observed here is effectively a nonsmooth Neimark-Sacker bifurcation. Finally, experimental results are presented for verification purposes.
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