PH12014000274B1 - Power converter - Google Patents

Abstract

A power converter includes: a plurality of DC/DC converters each of which is provided independently for corresponding one of a plurality of solar battery modules, and converts a voltage output by the solar battery module into a desired voltage; a DC/AC inverter which converts DC power output by the plurality of DC/DC converters into AC power; a power control unit which performs a basic power control with respect to each of the DC/DC converters and the DC/AC inverter; and a maximum power point control unit which gives a command for performing a maximum power point control with respect to each of the DC/DC converters and the DC/AC inverter.

Description

a DC voltage E2 output by the solar battery module 220 and a DC current I2 output by the smoothing circuit.

The power calculation unit 146 calculates AC power WO to be output by the DC/AC inverter 130, by multiplying an

ACvoltage VO and an AC current I0 output by the DC/AC inverter 130.

The maximum power point control unit 140 inputs the DC power Pl from the power calculation unit 142, the DC power

P2 from the power calculation unit 144, and the AC power WO from the power calculation unit 146, respectively. The maximum power point control unit 140 gives a command to the power control unit 148 which manages the power control of the DC/DC converter 110, the DC/DC converter 120, and the

DC/AC inverter 130, and adjusts a duty ratio of the PWM pulse to be output to each of the DC/DC converter 110, the DC/DC converter 120, and the DC/AC inverter 130 so that the sum of the DC power output from the NC/DC converter 110 and the

DC/DC converter 120 is the maximum, or so that the AC power output from the DC/AC inverter 130 is the maximum. In other words, the maximum power point control unit 140 performs the

MPPT 1 processing, the MPPT 2 processing, and the MPPT 0 processing.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a maximum power point control unit according to the embodiment. The maximum power point control unit 140 has functions of the converter control 1 which performs the MPPT 1 processing of the DC/DC converter 110, the converter control 2 which performs the

MPPT 2 processing of the DC/DC converter 120, and the inverter control which performs the MPPT 0 processing of the DC/AC inverter 130.

In the converter control 1, the command is received from the MPPT 1 processing and performs the MPPT, as described below.

A target value of a DC voltage Vdco output to the DC/AC inverter 130 by the DC/DC converter 110 and the DC/DC converter 120 is input as a Vdco command value 1, and is added to a Vdco adjusted value 1 obtained by the MPPT 1 processing.

The DC voltage Vdco is subtracted from the value obtained by adding the Vdco command value 1 and the Vdco adjusted value 1 obtained by the MPPT 1 processing, and the subtracted value is multiplied by Kl. The PWM pulse is generated by adding a value which is obtained by subtracting Il from Kl (Vdco command value 1 + Vdco adjusted value 1 obtained by the MPPT 1 processing - Vdco) and multiplying by K2, and Kl (Vdco command value 1 + Vdco adjusted value 1 obtained by the MPPT 1 processing - Vdco), and by applying the sum value to PWM control.

In the converter control 2, the command is received from the MPPT 2 processing as described below, and performs the

MPPT.

The target value of the DC voltage Vdco output to the

DC/AC inverter 130 by the DC/DC converter 110 and the DC/DC converter 120 is input as a Vdco command value 2, and is added to a Vdco adjusted value 2 obtained by the MPPT 2 processing.

The DC voltage Vdco is subtracted from the value obtained by adding the Vdco command value 2 and the Vdco adjusted value 2 obtained by the MPPT 2 processing, and the subtracted value is multiplied by Kl. The PWM pulse is generated by adding a value which is obtained by subtracting I2 from K1 (Vdco command value 2 + Vdco adjusted value 2 obtained by the MPPT 2 processing - Vdco) and multiplying by K2, and Kl (Vdco command value 2 + Vdco adjusted value 2 obtained by the MPPT 2 processing - Vdco), and by applying the sum value to PWM control.

In the inverter control, the command is received from the MPPT 0 processing as described below, and performs the

MPPT.

Sine wave information based on the AC voltage VO output by the DC/AC inverter 130 is multiplied by a power command value obtained by the MPPT 0 processing of the DC/AC inverter 130. The PWM pulse is generatedby subtracting the AC voltage

VO from the multiplied value and multiplying by K3, by subtracting the AC current I0 output by the DC/AC inverter 130 from the value multiplied by K3, and by applying the subtracted value to the PWM control. [Operation of Power Converter] [Specific Operation]

The maximum power point control unit 140 performs the

MPPT 0 processing which adjusts an inverter current I0 and makes the electric power WO output by the DC/AC inverter 130 maximum, then, performs the MPPT 1 processing which adjusts the Vdco adjusted value 1 obtained by the MPPT 1 processing and makes the electric power P1 output by the DC/DC converter 110 maximum, and then, performs the MPPT 2 processing which adjusts the Vdco adjusted value 2 obtained by the MPPT 2 processing and makes the electric power P2 output by the DC/DC converter 120 maximum.

When the electric power P1 output by the DC/DC converter 110 is less than the electric power P2 output by the DC/DC converter 120 (P1<P2), the MPPT 1 processing is performed, and then, the MPPT 0 processing is performed.

When the electric power P1 output by the DC/DC converter 110 is greater than the electric power P2 output by the DC/DC converter 120 (P1>P2), the MPPT 2 processing is performed, and then, the MPPT 0 processing is performed.

In other words, when P1<P2, the order is the MPPT 0 processing — the MPPT 1 processing — the MPPT 0 processing — the MPPT 1 processing .., and the MPPT 0 processing and the

MPPT 1 processing are alternately repeated. At this time, the power point control is performed which searches for a point at which the electric power WO or the electric power

P1 + P2 is the maximum.

In addition, when P1>P2, the order is the MPPT O processing — the MPPT 2 processing — the MPPT 0 processing — the MPPT 2 processing .., and the MPPT 0 processing and the

MPPT 2 processing are alternately repeated. At this time, the power point control is performed which searches for the point at which the electric power WO or the electric power

Pl + P2 are the maximum.

Ags described above, the power converter 100 according to the embodiment performs the MPPT 1 processing and the MPPT 0 processing, or the MPPT 2 processing and the MPPT 0 processing, alternately, as long as a magnitude relationship between the electric power Pl and the electric power P2 is not switched. When the a magnitude relationship between the electric power Pl and the electric power P2 is switched, the processing changes from the MPPT 1 processing to MPPT 2 processing, or from MPPT 2 processing to MPPT 1 processing.

In addition, a magnitude determination of the electric power Pl and the electric power P2 has a hysteresis so that the processing does not frequently change. For example, a hysteresis amount is set between 10% and 50% of the electric power Pl + P2. In this manner, even when the magnitude relationship between the electric power P1 and the electric power P2 frequently changes, it is possible to perform stable

MPPT processing.

As described above, the reason for switching between the MPPT 1 processing and the MPPT 2 processing is to perform a more stable MPPT. The MPPT 1 processing or the MPPT 2 processing may be performed by only one of the DC/DC converters. [Specific Operation]

FIG. 4 is a main flow chart of processing of the maximum power point control unit according to the embodiment.

Processing of the main flow chart will be described.

When a program is started, switching processing of a task switch is performed. The switching processing of the task switch is processing for selectively giving a command for whether the MPPT 0 processing, the MPPT 1 processing, or the MPPT 2 processing to be performed. Tn the task switch switching processing, the MPPT 0 processing is performed without fail, and either the MPPT 1 processing or the MPPT 2 processing is performed in processing following the MPPT 0 processing (Step S100).

Next, branch processing initiated by the task switch is performed. The branch processing by the task switch selects a program which will be processed next for performing the MPPT 0 processing, the MPPT 1 processing, and the MPPT . 2 processing which are commanded selectively, by the switching processing of the task switch in a previous step (Step S110).

When the MPPT 0 processing is selected in the branch processing initiated by the task switch of the previous step, the MPPT 0 processing is performed. As described in FIG. 1, the MPPT 0 processing is the MPPT control which is performed by the maximum power point control unit 140 with respect to the DC/AC inverter 130. As described in FIGS. 2 and 3, for changing the AC power WO output from the DC/AC inverter 130, the MPPT 0 processing makes the sum of the electric power

Pl output from the solar battery module 210 and the electric oo power P2 output from the solar battery module 220 maximum, or makes the electric power WO output from the DC/AC inverter 130 maximum, by increasing or decreasing a power command value obtained by the MPPT 0 processing and giving the increased or decreased power command value as a command to the power control unit 148 (Step S120).

When the MPPT 1 processing is selected in the branch processing initiated by the task switch of the previous step, the MPPT 1 processing is performed. As described in FIG. 1, the MPPT 1 processing is the MPPT control which is performed by the maximum power point control unit 140 with respect to the DC/DC converter 110. As described in FIGS. 2 and 3, in order to change the electric power Pl output from DC/DC converter 110, the MPPT 1 processing makes the sum of the electric power Pl output from the solar battery module 210 “and the clectric power P2 output from the solar battery module 220 maximum, or makes the electric power WO output from the

DC/AC inverter 130 maximum, by increasing or decreasing a

Vdco adjusted value 1 obtained by the MPPT 1 processing and giving the increased or decreased Vdco adjusted value 1 as a command to the power control unit 148 (Step S130).

When the MPPT 2 processing is selected in the branch processing by the task switch of the previous step, the MPPT 2 processing is performed. As described in FIG. 1, the MPPT 2 processing is the MPPT control which is performed by the maximum power point control unit 140 with respect to the DC/DC converter 120. As described in FIGS. 2 and 3, for changing the electric power P2 output from DC/DC converter 120, the

MPPT 2 processing makes the sum of the electric power P1 output from the solar battery module 210 and the electric power P2 output from the solar battery module 220 maximum, or makes the electric power WO output from the DC/AC inverter 130 maximum, by increasing or decreasing a Vdco adjusted value 2 obtained by the MPPT 2 processing and giving the increased or decreased Vdco adjusted value 2 as a command to the power control unit 148 (Step S140).

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating the switching processing of the task switch. The processing of the flow chart of the switching processing of the task switch will be described.

When the program is started, the maximum power point control unit 140 gives an instruction to perform the MPPT 0 processing (Step S101).

Next, the maximum power point control unit 140 (monitoring unit’ of a power conditioner) determines a condition in which the DC/DC converter 110 and the DC/DC converter 120 can be operated normally. The DC/DC converter 110 and the DC/DC converter 120 are operated when a power generation amount of the solar ballery module 210 and the solar battery module 220 is sufficient, or are stopped when the power generation amount is not sufficient. The determination is conducted based on a size of the DC voltage

El and the DC voltage E2, as illustrated in FIG. 2, for example.

When the DC voltage El exceeds a set value, it is determined that the DC/DC converter 110 can be operated, and when the

DC voltage El does not exceed the set value, it is determined that the DC/DC converter 110 cannot be operated. Then, the command for operating or stopping is given to the power control unit 148. In addition, when the DC voltage E2 exceeds the set value, it is determined that the DC/DC converter 120 can be operated, and when the DC voltage E2 does not exceed the set value, it is determined that the DC/DC converter 120 cannot be operated. Then, the command for operating or stopping is given to the power control unit 148.

The maximum power point control unit 140 determines whether or not the DC/DC converter 110 and the DC/DC converter 120 are in an operating state. (Step S102).

When it is determined that the DC/DC converter 110 or the DC/DC converter 120 is not operating normally in the processing of Step S102 (NO in Step S102), the MPPT 0 processing is commanded again. Accordingly, in the switching processing of the task switch, when the DC/DC converter 110 or the DC/DC converter 120 is not operating normally, the maximum power point control unit 140 sets the

Vdco adjusted value 1 and the Vdco adjusted value 2 to be

O (Step S107), and gives an instruction to perform only the

MPPT 0 processing (Step S103).

When it is determined that the DC/DC converter 110 or the DC/DC converter 120 is operating normally in the processing of Step S102 (YES in Step $102), the maximum power point control unit 140 compares the magnitude relationship between the electric power Pl output by the DC/DC converter 110 and the electric power P2 output by the DC/DC converter 120. Here, the electric power Pl output by the DC/DC converter 110 is calculated using El and I1 by the power calculation unit 142 as illustrated in FIG. 2, and the electric power P2 output by the DC/DC converter 120 is calculated using E2 and I2 by the power calculation unit 144 as illustrated in FIG. 2 (Step S104).

When it is determined that the electric power Pl output by the DC/DC converter 110 in the processing of Step $104 is less than the electric power P2 output by the DC/DC converter 120 (P1<P2) (YES in Step S104), the maximum power point control unit 140 gives an instruction to perform the

MPPT 1 processing (Step S105).

When it is determined that the electric power P1 output by the DC/DC converter 110 in the processing of Step S104 is not less than the electric power P2 output by the DC/DC converter 120 (P12P2) (NO in Step S104), the maximum power point control unit 140 gives an instruction to perform the

MPPT 2 processing (Step S106).

As described above, through the magnitude relationship between the electric power P1 output by the DC/DC converter 110 and the electric power P2 output by the DC/DC converter 120, it is determined whether the MPPT 1 processing is commanded or the MPPT 2 processing is commanded. However, as described above, the reason for switching between the MPPT 1 processing and the MPPT 2 processing is to perform more stable MPPT, and either the MPPI 1 processing or the MPPY 2 processing may be performed by only one of the DC/DC converters.

I'IG. 6 is a flowchart 11lustraling Lhe MPPT 0 processing.

The flow chart of the MPPT 0 processing will be described.

As illustrated in Step S121 of FIG. 6, basic operations of the maximum power point control unit 140 are increasing and decreasing the power command value of the inverter and searching for a point at which P1 + Pl or WO is the maximum.

When the power command value is input to the inverter control unit illustrated in FIG. 3 and the inverter current I0 increases and decreases finally, the point at which the output power WO of the power conditioner is the maximum is searched for. The operation is abasic operation of the MPPT.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the sine wave information based on the AC voltage VO output by the DC/AC inverter 130 is multiplied by the power command value obtained by the MPPT 0 processing, and the output voltage VO of the DC/AC inverter 130 is subtracted from the value after the multiplication.

The value after the subtraction is multiplied by K3, and the inverter current I0 of the DC/AC inverter 130 is subtracted therefrom. Based on the value after the subtraction, by applying the subtracted value to the PWM control, the PWM pulse output to the DC/AC inverter 130 is generated. Based on the generated PWM pulse, the inverter current I0 increases or decreases, accordingly, the MPPT is performed (Step S121).

The maximum power point control unit 140 confirms the electric power Pl calculated by the power calculation unit 142, electric power P2 calculated by the power calculation unit 144, and the electric power WO calculated by the power calculation unit 146, and searches for the point at which the electric power P1 + P2 or the electric power WO is the maximum (Step S122).

By repeating Step S121 and Step S122, it is possible to maximally extract the generated electric power of all of the solar battery modules.

FIG. 7is a flow charl illuslrating the MPPT 1 processing.

The flow chart of the MPPT 1 processing will be described.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the power control unit 148 adds the Vdco command value 1 for controlling the voltage

Vdco input to the DC/AC inverter 130 and the Vdco command value 1 obtained by the MPPT 1 processing of the maximum power point control unit 140, and subtracts Vdco from the value after the addition. The value after the subtraction is multiplied by K1, and the value after multiplying by K1 and ~ a value obtained by subtracting the converter current I1 from the valuemultiplied by K1 and by multiplying by K2, are added.

Based on the value after the addition, by applying the sum value to the PWM control, the PWM pulse output to the DC/DC converter 110 is generated. Based on the generated PWM pulse,

Vdco increases or decreases, and the maximum power point control unit 140 performs the MPPT control of the DC/DC converter 110 (Step S131). In addition, the circuit mode of the DC/DC converter and a controlling formula of the power control unit 148 are an example, and the embodiment is not limited thereto.

The maximum power point control unit 140 confirms the electric power Pl calculated by the power calculation unit . 142, electric power P2 calculated by the power calculation unit 144, and the electric power WO calculated by the power calculation unit 146, and searches for the point at which the electric power Pl + P2 or the electric power WO is the maximum (Step S132).

When the above-described processing ends, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the maximum power point control unit 140 initializes the Vdco adjusted value 2 to be used in the

MPPT 2 processing to 0.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the MPPT 2 processing.

The flow chart of the MPPT 2 processing will be described.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the power control unit 148 adds the Vdco command value 2 for controlling the voltage

Vdco input to the DC/AC inverter 130 and the Vdco command value 2 obtained by the MPPT 2 processing of the maximum power point control unit 140, and subtracts Vdco from the value after the addition. The value after the subtraction is multiplied by K1, and the value after multiplying by K1 and avalue obtained by subtracting the converter current 12 from the valuemultiplied by K1 and by multiplying by K2, are added.

Based on the value after the addition, by applying the sum value to the PWM control, the PWM pulse output to the DC/DC converter 120 is generated. Based on the generated PWM pulse,

Vdco increases or decreases, and the maximum power point control unit 140 performs the MPPT control of the DC/DC converter 120 (Step S141). In addition, the circuit mode of the DC/DC converter and a controlling formula of the power control unit 148 are an example, and the embodiment is not limited thereto.

The maximum power point control unit 140 confirms the 5S electric power Pl calculated by the power calculation unit 142, the electric power P2 calculated by the power calculation unit 144, and the electric power WO calculated by the power calculation unit 146, and searches for the point at which the electric power P1 + P2 or the electric power

WO is the maximum (Step S142).

When the above-described processing ends, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the maximum power point control unit 140 initializes the Vdco adjusted value 1 to be used in the

MPPT 1 processing as 0.

The power converter 100 according to the embodiment opcrates as described above. Therefore, since the MPPT control is possible with respect to all of the DC/DC converter 110, DC/DC converter 120 and the DC/AC inverter 130, it is possible to maximally extract the generated electric power of all of the solar battery modules.

In addition, when the output power of either the solar battery module 210 or the solar battery module 220, or both of the solar battery module 210 and the solar battery module 220, is not sufficient for the set value, the MPPT control is performed with respect only to the DC/AC inverter 130.

Therefore, even when the quantity of solar radiation is small, it is possible to maximally extract the generated electric power of all of the solar battery modules.

In the above, a preferred embodiment of the invention is described, but the embodiment is an example for describing the invention. The scope of the invention is not limited to the embodiment. Various aspects different from the above-described embodiment are possible without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, in the embodiment, the solar battery module is exemplified as a power source. However, the invention can be applied to the power source which generates the electric power from natural energy, such as a wind power generator, a hydroelectric generator, or a wave power generator, in addition to the solar battery module.

The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application

No. 2013-207523 filed on October 2, 2013 including specification, claims, drawings and summary are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Example 210 2-(3-{2-[3-(2-Hydroxy-1-hydroxymethyl-1-methyl-ethyl)-phenyl]-ethoxy}-4-methoxy- benzoylamino)-indane-2-carboxylic acid

HJ OH

HH OCH, OH (CX LL 0

Step 1: 2-(3-Methoxycarbonylmethyl-phenyl)-malonic acid dimethyl ester

Tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium(0) (0.104 g, 0.113 mmol), tri-(tert- butyl)phosphonium tetrafluoroborate (65.8 mg, 0.227 mmol) and sodium hydride (295 mg, 60 % dispersion in mineral oil) were charged into a flask under an argon atmosphere. (3-Bromophenyl)acetic acid methyl ester (1.30 g, 5.67 mmol) was dissolved in THF (10 ml) and added to the mixture. Subsequently, dimethyl malonate (0.995 g, 7.37 mmol) was added and the mixture stirred under reflux overnight. The mixture was filtered over a small plug of silica gel, evaporated to dryness and the residue purified by silica gel chromatography (HEP/EA gradient) to yield 0.704 g of the title compound.

LC/MS (Method LC1): Rt = 1.28 min; m/z = 281.1 [MH"]

Step 2: 2-(3-Methoxycarbonylmethyl-phenyl)-2-methyl-malonic acid dimethyl ester

The compound of step 1 (0.353 g, 1.26 mmol) was dissolved in DMF (1.5 mi), potassium tert-butoxide (151 mg, 1.32 mmol) was added, the mixture stirred at room temperature for 10 min, and then iodomethane (0.542 g, 3.78 mmol) was added. The mixture was stirred at room temperature for 3 h and partitioned between EA and 2 N hydrochloric acid. The combined extracts were washed with a saturated aqueous sodium chloride solution, dried over sodium sulfate and evaporated to dryness. The diastereomer with diastereomer A (relative stereochemistry of the diastereomers unknown).

Diastereomer A:

LC/MS (Method LC12): Rt = 3.43 min; m/z = 462.2 [MH] "H-NMR: § = 12.1 (br s, 1H); 8.43 (s, 1H); 7.48 (dd, 1H); 7.41 (d, 1H); 7.32 (dd, 1H); 7.28-7.13 (m, 5H); 7.10 (d, 1H); 7.02(d, 1H); 7.00 (d, 1H); 5.70 (brs, 1H); 5.40 (s, 1H); 4.16 (t, 2H); 3.90 (d, 1H); 3.09 (d, 1H); 3.00 (t, 2H); 2.28 (s, 3H)

Example 221 2-{[5-(3-Isopropyl-phenyl)-6-methoxy-pyridine-3-carbonyl]-amino}-indane-2- carboxylic acid

Oo

I

CX CH, oO

CH,

Step 1: 5-(3-Isopropyl-phenyl)-6-methoxy-nicotinic acid methyl ester

Under an atmosphere of argon, a mixture of 5-bromo-6-methoxy-nicotinic acid methyl ester (W. J. Thompson and J. Gaudino, J. Org. Chem. 49 (1984), 5237-5243) (100 mg, 0.406 mmol), 3-isopropylphenylboronic acid (73 mag, 0.447 mmol), tri-(tert- butyl)phosphonium tetrafluoroborate (7 mg, 0.024 mmol), tris(dibenzylideneacetone)dipalladium(0) (11 mg, 0.012 mmol) and potassium fluoride (78 mg, 1.34 mmol) in a flask was suspended in dioxane (1.5 ml) and heated to 45 °C for 3 h. After cooling, it was filtered over a small plug of silica gel and evaporated to dryness. Purification of the residue by silica gel chromatography (HEP/EA gradient) and subsequent RP HPLC (water/ACN gradient) yielded 63 mg of the title compound.

LC/MS (Method LC13): Rt = 2.95 min; m/z = 286.1 [MH]

LC/MS (Method LC12): Rt = 2.68 min; m/z = 475.2 [MH]

Example 247 2-(3-{2-[3-(2-Acetylamino-ethyl)-phenyl]-ethoxy}-4-methoxy-benzoylamino)-indane-2- carboxylic acid

Oo

H H Oo

N OCH, N—

CH,

OH 0 : Oo

The compound of Step 2 of example 246 (85 mg, 0.174 mmol) was dissolved in acetic anhydride and stirred under reflux for 30 min. Water was added in excess and the mixture was refluxed for 10 min. After cooling, the mixture was extracted with EA, the combined extracts were dried over sodium sulfate and evaporated to dryness.

The residue was purified by RP HPLC (water/ACN gradient) to yield the methyl ester of the title compound. Hydrolysis of this ester in analogy to example 2 yielded 17 mg of the title compound.

LC/MS (Method LC16): Rt = 3.95 min; m/z = 1031.2 [(2M-H)]

Example 248 2-{3-[2-(3-Carbamoylmethyl-phenyl)-ethoxy}-4-methoxy-benzoylamino}-indane-2- carboxylic acid

Oo

H

He NH,

OH 0 0

Example Rt LC/MS m/z Retention

Method | [MH] time [min] 264 (ls LC12 530.2 3.95 0

H,C. 265 NTN LC12 | 503.2 2.87

CH, (a) [(M-H)7] instead of [MH"]

Example 270 2-[4-(2-Hydroxy-ethoxy)-3-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)-benzoylamino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid

Oo

H /\

N Oo OH

CH,

OH 0

Oo

0

H

N OCH, lu

OH RY oO

Table 10. Example compounds of the formula iu 97 LC/MS m/z Retention

Example R . } i

Method [MH] time [min] 4-chloro-phenyl LC22 422.22 2-chloro-phenyl LC22 422.22 5-chloro-pyridin-3-yl |LC14 423.08 6-cyano-pyridin-2-yl {LC12 414.19 5-cyano-pyridin-3-yl |LC14 414.15

Example 285

General procedure for the preparation of 2-(3-aryl-4-methoxy-benzoylamino)-indane- 2-carboxylic acids 0.3 mmol of the respective boronic acid were weighed into a microwave reaction vial. 0.2 mmol of 2-(3-bromo-4-methoxy-benzoylamino)-indane-2-carboxylic acid methyl ester in 2 ml of 1,2-dimethoxyethane and 0.4 mmol of cesium fluoride in 1 ml of methanol were added, followed by 0.01 mmol of tetrakis(triphenylphosphine)palladium(0) in 0.5 ml of methanol. The vial was closed with a crimp cap and irradiated in a microwave reactor at 130 °C for 5 min. The cooled solution was treated with 0.25 mi of 4 N aqueous sodium hydroxide and irradiated for another 5 min at 130 °C in a microwave reactor. The cooled solution was neutralized with 0.25 ml of 4 N aqueous hydrochloric acid and evaporated. The residue was dissolved in 2 ml of DMF, filtered and submitted to preparative RP HPLC (water/ACN gradient).

dd 244

Biocoat cellware) approximately 18-24 h prior to the experiments. Cells were grown in an incubator at 37 °C, 5 % carbon dioxide and 95 % humidity in cell culture media based on F-12 glutamax media (Gibco, #31765) supplemented with 1 % (vol/vol) penicilline/streptomycine (PAN, #P06-07100), 10 % (vol/vol) fetal calf serum (FCS,

PAA, #A15-151) and hygromycin B (Invitrogen, #10687-010) 300 mg/l (final concentrations).

Prior to the FLIPR experiment, cells were loaded with fluo-4 acetoxymethyl ester (fluo-4 AM, Invitrogen, #F 14202) for 60 min in an incubator at 37 °C, 5 % carbon dioxide and 95 % humidity in dye-loading buffer consisting of Hanks' Balanced Salt

Solution (HBSS, Invitrogen, #14065049) supplemented with fluo-4 AM at 2 uM (all data given for final concentration), Pluronic® F-127 0.05 % (vol/vol) (Invitrogen, #P- 3000MP), HEPES 20 mM (Gibco, #15630), probenecid 2.5 mM (Sigma, #P-8761) and bovine serum albumin 0.05 % (BSA, Sigma, #A-6003), adjusted to pH 7.5 with sodium hydroxide. During cell loading, fluo-4 AM is cleaved by intracellular esterase resulting in trapping of the dye fluo-4 within the cells. Loading was terminated by washing of the cells in a cell washer (Tecan Power washer) three times with the buffer specified afore but without fluo-4 AM and BSA. This latter buffer was also used as the buffer in the subsequent cell fluorescence measurements.

The dye-loaded and washed cells were pre-incubated for approximately 5 min with various concentrations of the test compound added as a solution in DMSO (0.3 % vol/vol maximum final concentration of DMSO), or with DMSO in the respective concentration only (positive control). Subsequent addition of LPA (18:1, 1-oleoyl-sn- glycerol 3-phosphate; 100 nM final concentration) leads to liberation of intracellular calcium from internal stores resulting in a large transient increase of the fluo4 fluorescence signal which was monitored over approximately 3 min. The percent inhibition caused by the test compound was determined from the maximum fluorescence response after LPA addition to cells pre-incubated with the compound as compared to the maximum fluorescence response after LPA addition to cells pre- incubated with DMSO only. All fluorescence values were corrected for the baseline fluorescence values obtained with cells which were pre-incubated with DMSO only

TA. Se

POWER CONVERTER ; <5

BACKGROUND ’ y 1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a power converter which can maximally extract generated electric power of all the solar battery modules in a photovoltaic power generation system which has a plurality of solar battery modules. 2. Description of Related Art

In recent years, a solar battery power generation system, which is interconnected with a commercial power supply system and supplies electric power to a load, has been used. The solar battery module (including a plurality of solar batteries connected in series) has a characteristic that output power changes greatly depending on an output voltage.

Accordingly, in the solar battery power generation system, a scheme for maximally utilizing the output power of the solar battery module is employed.

One of such schemes is maximum power point tracking control (MPPT control) based on a hill climbing method.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating the MPPT control in the related art. When an output power P of the solar battery module is plotted with respect to an output voltage of the solar battery module, a plotted group of points forms a substantially hill-shaped curve (voltage-power characteristic curve) as illustrated in curve A or curve B in the drawing. The curve A illustrates a case where a quantity of solar radiation is relatively large and temperature of the solar battery module is low. The curve

B illustrates a case where the quantity of solar radiation — 5 _

: Ca oy 22 49

Acylamino-substituted fused cyclopentanecarboxylic acid derivative®\and ther use as pharmaceuticals

The present invention relates to compounds of the formula |,

R3 R? RY 0 v rR?! n—l— 1 ose ‘ RE

R°R® O wherein A, Y, Z, R® to R®, R? to R? and R*® have the meanings indicated below, which are valuable pharmaceutical active compounds. Specifically, they are inhibitors of the endothelial differentiation gene receptor 2 (Edg-2, EDG2), which is activated by lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) and is also termed as LPA receptor, and are useful for the treatment of diseases such as atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction and heart failure, for example. The invention furthermore relates to processes for the preparation of the compounds of the formula |, their use and pharmaceutical compositions comprising them.

LPA is a group of endogenous lysophospholipid derivatives including 1-oleoyl-sn- glycerol 3-phosphate, for example. LPA activates G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR's) from the endothelial differentiation gene receptor family which belong to the lysophospholipid receptors. LPA signaling exerts a variety of pleiotropic biological responses on many different cell types which interfere with processes such as cell proliferation, cell growth, cell hypertrophy, re-differentiation, cell retraction, cell contraction, cell migration, cell survival or inflammation. The Edg receptor family, originally identified as a family of orphan GPCR's, currently comprises eight different members which were recently termed according to their respective ligand as LPA receptors or S1P receptors (sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors). According to the nomenclature of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology

(IUPHAR), LPA receptors Edg-2, Edg-4 and Edg-7 are now also termed as LPA;,

LPA; and LPA; receptor (cf. |. Ishii et al., Annu. Rev. Biochem. 73 (2004), 321-354).

LPA is generated mainly in the extracellular compartment by different pathways predominantly by the cancer cell motility factor autotaxin which was recently found to be identical with lysophospholipase D. LPA can also be generated by alternative routes involving phospholipase hydrolysis (PLA; and PLA) or other mechanisms such as de novo phospholipid synthesis. Although LPA, in contrast to other phospholipids, is highly soluble in water, in plasma it is carried by different binding proteins such as albumin and gelsolin which display a high affinity to LPA and from which it can be released. Under pathophysiological conditions, levels of LPA can be elevated to an undesirable amount and thus increase LPA-mediated signaling and lead to detrimental processes such as abnormal cell proliferation, for example.

Blocking LPA signaling, for example by Edg-2 inhibitors, allows to prevent such processes.

For example, increased liberation of LPA was observed during platelet activation and blood clotting and at sites of inflammation (T. Sano et. al., J. Biol. Chem. 277 (2002), 21197-21206). After acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in humans, LPA serum levels were significantly raised in humans to about 6-fold higher concentrations, and LPA was regarded to be involved in the pathophysiological processes in the cardiovascular system related to AMI (X. Chen et al, Scand. J. Clin. Lab. Invest. 63 (2003), 497-503). The importance of LPA and its receptor Edg-2 for the pathophysiological processes after myocardial infarction such as cardiac remodeling and for the prevention of cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure was confirmed in further investigations (J. Chen et al., J. Cell. Biochem. 103 (2008), 1718-1731). LPA was shown to be generated during mild oxidation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) particles and to be accumulated in the lipid core of human atherosclerotic plaques (W. Siess et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 96 (1999), 6931-6936). Furthermore, LPA was identified as an important bioactive component of moxLDL (mildly oxidized low density lipoprotein) leading to platelet activation, and it was shown that the effects of

LPA, moxLDL or lipid core extracts from human atherosclerotic plaques on platelet activation could be abrogated by the Edg-2/Edg-7 receptor inhibitor dioctanoylglycerol pyrophosphate DGPP(8:0), implicating a causative role of LPA- mediated Edg receptor signaling in platelet aggregation and usefulness of such LPA receptor inhibitors in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases (E. Rother etal.,

Circulation 108 (2003), 741-747).

Further findings underline the detrimental role of LPA during initiation and progression of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, left ventricular remodeling and heart failure. LPA leads to pertussis toxin-sensitive, NFxB (nuclear factor kappa B)-mediated pro-inflammatory responses of endothelial cells including upregulation of chemokines like monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and interleukin-8 (IL8) (A. Palmetshofer et al., Thromb. Haemost. 82 (1999), 1532-1537) and exposure of endothelial cell adhesion molecules like E-selectin or intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) (H. Lee et al., Am. J. Physiol. 287 (2004), C1657-

C1666). Direct evidence for the involvement of Edg-2 receptors arises from recent studies which demonstrate that LPA induces oxidative stress in vascular smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells which was attenuated by pharmacological inhibition by DGPP(8:0) or THG1603, a specific Edg-2 receptor antagonist (U.

Kaneyuki et al., Vascular Pharmacology 46 (2007), 286-292; S. Brault et al., Am. J.

Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. 292 (2007), R1174-R1183). In vascular smooth muscle cells, LPA leads to pertussis toxin-sensitive Ca** release from internal stores, to activation of 42 kDa mitogen-activated protein kinase (p42MAPK) and to cell proliferation (S. Seewald et al., Atherosclerosis 130 (1997), 121-131).

Intravascular injection of LPA was shown to induce neointima formation in vivo (K.

Yoshida et al., Circulation 108 (2003),1746-1752). On isolated adult cardiac myocytes, LPA leads to cellular hypertrophy and to activation of different kinases known to be relevant for a hypertrophic response (Y.-J. Xu et al., Biochemical

Pharmacology 59 (2000), 1163-1171). Studies on neonatal myocytes confirmed a role of LPA in the induction of hypertrophy and revealed the relevance of a rho kinase-dependent pathway (R. Hilal-Dandan et al., J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol. 36 (2004), 481-493). The relevance of rho kinase underlines the involvement of the Edg-2 receptors which, in contrast to Edg-7 receptors, are coupled to Gqui2113 proteins. LPA

, Cm :

SE is less than in the case of the curve A and the temperature of the solar battery module is higher than in the case of the curve A.

In the case of the curve A, a peak of the voltage-power characteristic curve is a maximum power point Pmax at which the output power P of the solar battery module is the maximum.

The output voltage V of the solar battery module at the maximum power point Pmax is an optimum operating point Va. The voltage-power characteristic curve changes according to a change in the quantity of solar radiation and the temperature.

When the quantity of solar radiation and the temperature decrease and, for example, the voltage-power characteristic curve changes from the curve A to the curve B, the maximum output point Pmax and the optimum operating point Va of the solar battery module change from the maximum output point

Pmax to P'max, and from the optimum operating point Va to

Vb.

Since the maximum power point always changes according to the change in the quantity of solar radiation and the temperature, if it is intended to maximally use the output power of the solar battery module, the MPPT control for tracking the maximum power point is required. In thc MPPT control, the output power P of the solar battery module is periodically measured, and an operating voltage of the solar battery module is controlled so that the output power P increases.

The above-described example is a case where one solar battery module is provided in the solar battery power generation system, but there is a case where a plurality of solar battery modules are provided depending on the solar battery power generation system. In a solar battery power generalion system including a pluralily of solar ballery i 5 furthermore attenuates the force of contraction in human myocardial ventricular and atrial preparations and impairs isoprenaline-induced fractional shortening of isolated adult rat ventricular myocytes. The latter effects were reverted after pre-incubation with pertussis toxin indicating the relevance of a GPCR-mediated and Gaio-mediated pathway (B. Cremers et al., J. Mol. Cell. Cardiol. 35 (2003), 71-80). LPA was also found to lead to enhanced matrix generation and proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts (J. Chen et al., FEBS Letters 580 (2006), 4737-4745).

The importance of influencing Edg-2 receptor signaling and LPA-mediated effects for many diseases was confirmed by pharmacological approaches using specific tool compounds or Edg-2 receptor knock-out mice or by experimental silencing of the

Edg-2 receptors. For example, the relevance of LPA-activated Edg receptors for renal diseases was demonstrated by different kinds of Edg-2/Edg-7 receptor inhibitors. In one approach, it was shown that the LPA-induced proliferative response of mesangial cells could be inhibited by the compound DGPP(8:0) (Y. Xing et al., Am.

J. Physiol. Cell Physiol. 287 (2004), F1250-F1257). In another approach using the

Edg-2/Edg-7 receptor inhibitor VPC12249 it was demonstrated in an in vivo model of mouse renal ischemia reperfusion that LPA displays a dual role in renoprotection.

While Edg-4 receptor signaling was shown to be beneficial, Edg-2 and Edg-7 receptor signaling aggravated renal injury, most probably due to enhanced infiltration of leukocytes into the renal tissue, and should therefore be blocked for treating or preventing ischemia/reperfusion-induced acute renal failure (M. D. Okusa et al., Am.

J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. 285 (2003), F565-F574). The crucial role of Edg-2 receptors in the development of tubulointerstitial fibrosis was confirmed in a model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (J. P. Pradere et al., J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 18 (2007), 3110-3118). In this model, renal injury was attenuated in Edg-2 receptor knock-out mice or by pharmacological treatment with the Edg-2/Edg-7 receptor inhibitor

Ki16425. The impact of the LPA/Edg-2 receptor system in pulmonary fibrosis and vascular leakage was recently confirmed by the finding that the bioactive content of

LPA was increased in bronchoalveolar fluid of humans suffering from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Edg-2 receptor knock-out mice were protected from bleomycin-

Se induced lung injury and vascular leakage, as compared to wild-type littermates (A. M.

Tager et al, Nat. Med. 14 (2008), 45-54).

Direct involvement of Edg-2 receptors was recently demonstrated for the progression 5S of bone metastasis in vivo. Progression was reduced under pharmacological treatment with the Edg-2/Edg-7 receptor inhibitor Ki16425 as well as after specific silencing of the Edg-2 receptors in the same order of magnitude (A. Boucharaba et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 103 (2006), 9643-9648). The relevance of Edg-2 receptors was also shown in vitro with respect to prostate cancer cell proliferation and metastatic potential of human colon carcinoma cells (R. Guo et al., Endocrinology 147 (2006), 4883-4892; D. Shida et al., Cancer Res. 63 (2003), 1706-1711). : The relevance of LPA-mediated Edg-2 receptor signaling was also demonstrated in an in vivo model of neuropathic pain. Intrathecal injection of LPA mimicked behavioral, morphological and biochemical alterations similar to those observed after peripheral nerve injury. Non-redundant function of Edg-2 receptors was demonstrated in Edg-2 receptor deficient mice which did not develop signs of neuropathic pain after nerve injury. Therefore, Edg-2 receptor signaling is regarded as crucial in the initiation of neuropathic pain (M. inoue et al., Nat. Med. 10 (2004), 712-718). Thus, it is evident that inhibition of the Edg-2 receptor and the effects of

LPA by suitable inhibitors is an attractive approach for treating various diseases.

Certain compounds which exhibit Edg-2 inhibitory activity, have already been described. For example, as compounds which are structurally related to LPA, the above-mentioned compounds DGPP(8:0) or VPC12249 may be mentioned. In WO 02/29001 and WO 2005/115150 amino compounds comprising a phosphate group, phosphonate group or hydroxy group are described which have activity as agonists or antagonists of LPA receptors. LPA receptor antagonistic azole compounds which are characterized by a carbamate group in the 4-position of the azole ring, are described in EP 1258484. The use of azole compounds, further heterocycles and other compounds for modulating the Edg-2, Edg-3, Edg-4 and Edg-7 receptor is described in WO 03/062392. Compounds which have LPA receptor, especially

Edg-2, antagonistic activity and which comprise a p-alanine moiety carrying a biphenyl-2-carbony! group on the amino group, or an alcohol group and at least three cyclic groups, are described in EP 1533294 and EP 1695955, respectively. But there still is a need for further Edg-2 inhibitors which exhibit a favorable property profile and can be used in the treatment of diseases such as the above-mentioned ones and other diseases in which LPA signaling and Edg-2 receptors play a role. The present invention satisfies this need by providing the acylamino-substituted fused cyclopentanecarboxylic acid derivatives of the formula | defined below.

Certain acylamino-substituted fused cyclopentanecarboxylic acid derivatives which structurally differ from the compounds of the invention, have already been described, such as the compound 2-benzoylamino-indane-2-carboxylic acid in R. Lohmar et al.,

Chem. Ber. 113 (1980), 3706-3715. 2-Acylamino-indane-2-carboxylic acids which are characterized by an aryl or heteroaryl substituent on the benzene ring of the indane moiety and which control the function of the GPR34 receptor and thereby inhibit histamine release, have been described in WO 2006/088246 (EP 1849465), among them the compounds of the formula | in which the fused cyclopentane ring depicted in formula | together with ring A is an indane ring which carries a 4-chlorophenyl substituent in the 5-position, the groups R® to R® and R?° are hydrogen, the group R* is hydroxy or ethoxy and the cyclic residue containing the groups Y, Z, R?' and R* is 4-(2-methyl-1H-benzoimidazol-1-ylmethyl)-phenyl, which residue may also be designated as 4-(2-methyl-benzoimidazol-1-ylmethyl)-phenyl. The compounds of the formula | in which the fused cyclopentane ring depicted in formula | together with ring

Ais an unsubstituted indane ring, the groups R® to R® and R% are hydrogen, the group R% is hydroxy and the cyclic residue containing the groups Y, Z, R*' and R% is 6,2',4'-trichlorobiphenyl-3-yl, 6-chloro-[1,1',4',1"}terphenyl-3-yl or 4-chloro-3-(2- phenylethynyl)-phenyl, have been described in WO 2006/044975 which relates to anti-tumor agents.

A subject of the present invention is a compound of the formula |, in any of its stereoisomeric forms or a mixture of sterecisomeric forms in any ratio, or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof, or a physiologically acceptable solvate of any of them,

R® R? RY 0 v Rr?!

N—l— 1 50 Zz R22

R°R° O wherein ring A is a 3-membered to 7-membered cycloalkane ring, a benzene ring, ora monocyclic 5-membered or 6-membered aromatic heterocyclic ring which comprises 1 or 2 identical or different hetero ring members chosen from the series consisting of

N, N(R%, O and S, wherein the cycloalkane ring is optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents chosen from the series consisting of fluorine and (C-Cq)-alkyl, and the benzene ring and the heterocyclic rings are optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents chosen from the series consisting of halogen, R', HO-, R-0-, R'-C(0)-O-, R!-S(0)2-0-, R'-S(0)m-, H2N-, R'-NH-, R-N(R')-, R™-C(0)-NH-, R*-C(0)-N(R"")-, R'-S(0)2-NH-, R'-S(0)-N(R™")-,

R'-C(0)-, HO-C(O)-, R'-O-C(0)-, Hz2N-C(O)-, R™-NH-C(O)-, R'-N(R")-C(O)-,

HoN-S(O)z-, R'-NH-5(0)z-, R™-N(R")-S(O)2-, NC-, OzN-, phenyl and Het; v is chosen from the series consisting of N(R", S, 0, C(R')=C(R"), N=C(R'*) and

C(R™)=N; 7 is chosen from the series consisting of N and C(R'®);

R? is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and RZ;

R' RZ R'" R® R® RR, R®, R¥ and R* are, independently of each other group R', RZ, R'!, R¥, R¥, R¥, R* R*, R57 and R® chosen from the series consisting of (C4-Ce)-alkyl, (C2-Cs)-alkenyl, (C2-Ce)-alkynyl, (C3-Cr)-cycloalkyl and

(C3-Cr)-cycloalkyl-(C4-Cq)-alkyl- which are all optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents R";

R? and R® are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, (C1-C4)-alkyl, phenyl-(C1-C4)-alkyl-, phenyl and hydroxy;

R* and R® are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and (C1-Ca)-alkyl; * R'is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and R"";

R'2 R™, R™ R'S and R'® are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, (C-Ca)-alkyl, HO-(C1-Ca)-alkyl-, (C1-Ca)-alkyl-O-, (C1-C4)-alkyl-S(O)m-, H2N-, (C4-Ca)-alkyl-NH-, (C1-Cy)-alkyl-N((C1-Ca)-alkyl)-, (C4-Ca)- alkyl-C(O)-, NC- and Oz2N-;

RZ is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and (C1-Ca)-alkyl; one of the groups R?' and R% is a group of the formula il

R24.R2%. i and the other of the groups R2' and R% is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, R®, HO-, R¥®-0-, R®*-C(0)-0-, R%.S(0)2-O-, R*-S(O)m-, H2N-, RYNH- RP-N(R¥)-, R®-C(0)-NH-, R®-C(0)-N(R™")-, R**-8(0)2-NH-, R3*-S(O).-

N(R”")-, R®-C(O)-, HO-C(0)-, R*-0-C(O)-, H2N-C(O)-, R¥®_NH-C(0)-, R*-N(R%)-

C(0)-, HaN-S(0)z-, R*-NH-S(O)2-, R3.N(R%)-S(0)2-, NC-, O;N- and Het":

R2 is a direct bond or a chain consisting of 1 to 5 chain members of which 0, 1 or 2 chain members are identical or different hetero chain members chosen from the series consisting of N(R2), 0, S, S(O) and S(O)z, but two hetero chain members can be present in adjacent positions only if one of them is chosen from the series consisting of S(O) and S(O); and the other is chosen from the series consisting of

N(R?), O and S, and the other chain members are identical or different groups

C(R®)(R®), wherein two adjacent groups C(R%)(R%) can be connected to each other by a double bond or a triple bond;

R? is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, R*!, HO-, R%'.0-, R*'-C(0)-O-,

R3'-S(0)m-, HaN-, R¥-NH-, R¥-N(R*")-, R*'-C(O)-NH-, R¥-C(0)-N(R™")-, R*'-S(0)-

NH-, R*'-S(0),-N(R™")-, R*'-C(0)-, HO-C(O)-, R3'-0-C(O)-, H2N-C(O)-, R%'-

NH-C(O)-, R*-N(R?')-C(0)-, HoN-S(0)z-, R*'-NH-S(0)z-, R3'-N(R*")-S(0).-, NC- and a 3-membered to 10-membered, monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic ring which is saturated or unsaturated and contains 0, 1, 2 or 3 identical or different hetero ring members chosen from the series consisting of N, N(R%?), O, S, S(O) and S(O)2, which ring is optionally substituted on ring carbon atoms by one or more identical or different substituents chosen from the series consisting of halogen, R33, HO-, R*-0-,

R¥-C(0)-O-, R®-S(0),-0-, R¥-S(O)m-, HoN-, R¥.NH-, R¥-N(R*)-, R¥-C(0)-NH-,

R3.C(0)-N(R™")-, R¥-S(0)z-NH-, R¥.5(0)-N(R™")-, H2N-S(0)2-NH-, R*3-NH-S(0)z-

NH-, R®-N(R®)-S(0)z-NH-, HzN-5(0)2-N(R™")-, R33.NH-S(0)2-N(R”")-, R®-N(R*)-

S(0),-N(R™")-, R¥-C(0)-, HO-C(0)-, R*-0-C(O)-, H,N-C(O)-, R¥*-NH-C(O)-,

R3%.N(R*)-C(0)-, HaN-S(0)2-, R®¥-NH-S(0)z-, R¥3-N(R*)-S(0)z-, NC-, O2N-, oxo, phenyl and Het, provided that the total number of C, N, O and S atoms which is present in the two groups R% and R?, is at least 5; 55 Ris chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and (C1-Ca)-alkyl;

R? independently of each other group R?, is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, fluorine, (C4-Ca)-alkyl and HO-, or two groups R?® bonded to the same carbon atom together are oxo, or two of the groups R? or one group R*® and one group R?, together with the comprised chain members, form a 3-membered to 7- membered monocyclic ring which is saturated and contains 0, 1 or 2 identical or different hetero ring members chosen from the series consisting of N, N(R*), O, S,

S(O) and S(O), which ring is optionally substituted on ring carbon atoms by one more identical or different substituents chosen from the series consisting of fluorine and (C4-Cy)-alkyl;

R%'is chosen from the series consisting of (C1-Ce)-alkyl, (C,-Ce)-alkenyl and (C2-Cs)- alkynyl which are all optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents R"?;

R32 and R® are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, R®, R%-S(0)-, R*-C(0)-, R¥*-0-C(0)-, phenyl and Het;

RS is chosen from the series consisting of R*'-O- and R¥%-N(R*)-;

RS" is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and R*;

RS? is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, R*, NC- and R%.S(0)z-;

R53 is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and R®’;

Ris chosen from the series consisting of R*® and phenyl;

R® independently of each other group R®, is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and (C1-Ca)-alkyl; 55 R™is chosen from the series consisting of HO-, R”'-0-, R"-C(0)-O-, R"'-S(O)m-,

H,oN-, R71-NH-, R7'-N(R"")-, R"'-C(O)-NH-, R7'-C(0)-N(R™")-, R"'-S(0)2-NH-,

R71-S(0),-N(R™")-, HO-C(O)-, R"-0-C(0)-, H2N-C(0)-, R7'-NH-C(0)-, R"-N(R"")-

C(O)-, HzN-S(0)z-, R7'-NH-S(O)z-, R"-N(R"")-5(0)2-, NC-, oxo, phenyl and Het’;

R”' independently of each other group R"', is chosen from (C1-Ca)-alkyl, (C3-Ca)- cycloalkyl and (C3-C4)-cycloalkyl-(C4-Ca)-alkyl-;

- ee 11

Het, independently of each other group Het, is a monocyclic 4-membered to 7- membered heterocyclic ring which comprises 1, 2 or 3 identical or different hetero ring members chosen from the series consisting of N, N(R®%), O, S, S(O) and S(O), which ring is saturated or unsaturated and is optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents chosen from the series consisting of halogen, (C;-

Ca)-alkyl and R”®;

Het'is a monocyclic 4-membered to 7-membered heterocyclic ring which comprises ; 1 or 2 identical or different hetero ring members chosen from the series consisting of.

N, N(R®), 0, S, S(O) and S(O), which ring is saturated and is optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents chosen from the series consisting of fluorine and (C4-Cg)-alkyl;

Het? is a monocyclic 5-membered or 6-membered heterocyclic ring which comprises 1, 2 or 3 identical or different hetero ring members chosen from the series consisting of N, N(R®), O and S, which ring is aromatic and is optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents chosen from the series consisting of halogen, : (C4-Cq)-alkyl, (C4-Cy)-alkyl-O- and NC-; m, independently of each other number m, is an integer chosen from the series consisting of 0, 1 and 2; phenyl, independently of each other group phenyl, is optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents chosen from the series consisting of halogen, (C4-Cs)-alkyl, (C1-C,4)-alkyl-O- and NC-, unless specified otherwise; cycloalkyl, independently of each other group cycloalkyl, and independently of any other substituents on cycloalkyl, is optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents chosen from fluorine and (C4-Cy)-alkys}; :

alkyl, alkenyl and alkynyl, independently of each other group alkyl, alkenyl and alkynyl, and independently of any other substituents on alkyl, alkenyl and alkynyl, is optionally substituted by one or more fluorine substituents; provided that the compound of the formula | is not 2-{(6,2',4-trichlorobiphenyl-3- carbonyl)aminolindane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-[6-chloro-[1 ,1'.4' 1"}terphenyl-3- carbonyl)amino]indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-(4-chloro-3-phenylethynyl- benzoylamino)-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 5-(4-chloro-phenyl)-2-[4-(2-methyl-1 H- benzoimidazol-1-ylmethyl)-benzoylamino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid or 5-(4-chloro- phenyl)-2-[4-(2-methyl-1H-benzoimidazol-1 _yimethyl)-benzoylamino}-indane-2- carboxylic acid ethyl ester.

If structural elements such as groups, substituents or numbers, for example, can occur several times in the compounds of the formula |, they are all independent of each other and can in each case have any of the indicated meanings, and they can in each case be identical to or different from any other such element. in a dialkylamino group, for example, the alkyl groups can be identical or different.

Alkyl groups, i.e. saturated hydrocarbon residues, can be linear (straight-chain) or branched. This also applies if these groups are substituted or are part of another group, for example an alkyl-O- group (alkyloxy group, alkoxy group) or an HO- substituted alkyl group (hydroxyalkyl group). Depending on the respective definition, the number of carbon atoms in an alkyl group canbe 1,2, 3,4,50r6,0r 1, 2, 3or4, or1,2or3, or1or2, or 1. Examples of alkyl are methyl, ethyl, propyl including n- propyl and isopropyl, butyl including n-butyl, sec-butyl, isobutyl and tert-butyl, pentyl including n-pentyl, 1-methylbutyl, isopentyl, neopentyl and tert-pentyl, and hexyl including n-hexyl, 3,3-dimethylbutyl and isohexyl. Examples of alkyl-O- groups are methoxy, ethoxy, n-propoxy, isopropoxy, n-butoxy, isobutoxy, tert-butoxy, n-pentoxy.

Examples of alkyl-S(O)n- are methylsulfanyl- (CHs-S-), methanesulfinyl- (CH3-S(0)-), methanesulfonyl (CH3-S(O),-), ethylsulfanyl- (CH3-CH;-S-), ethanesulfinyl- (CH3-CH,-S(0)-), ethanesulfonyl (CH3-CH»-S(0)2-), 1-methylethylsulfanyl- ((CHa3),CH-S-), 1-methylethanesulfinyl- ((CHa)2CH-S(0)-), 1-methylethanesulfonyl

((CH3)2CH-S(0)2-). In one embodiment of the invention the number m is chosen from 0 and 2, wherein all numbers m are independent of each other and can be identical or different. In another embodiment the number m in any of its occurrences is, independent of its meaning in other occurrences, 0. In another embodiment the number m in any of its occurrences is, independent of its meaning in other occurrences, 2.

A substituted alkyl group can be substituted in any positions, provided that the respective compound is sufficiently stable and is suitable as a pharmaceutical active compound. The prerequisite that a specific group and a compound of the formula are sufficiently stable and suitable as a pharmaceutical active compound, applies in general with respect to the definitions of all groups in the compounds of the formula I.

An alkyl group which is optionally substituted by one or more fluorine substituents can be unsubstituted, i.e. not carry fluorine substituents, or substituted, for example by1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,89, 10 or 11 fluorine substituents, or by 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 fluorine substituents, which can be located in any positions. For example, in a fluoro- substituted alkyl group one or more methyl groups can carry three fluorine substituents each and be present as trifluoromethyl groups, and/or one or more methylene groups (CH) can carry two fluorine substituents each and be present as difluoromethylene groups. The explanations with respect to the substitution ofa group by fluorine also apply if the group additionally carries other substituents and/or is part of another group, for example of an alkyl-O- group. Examples of fluoro- substituted alkyl groups are trifluoromethyl, 2-fluoroethyl, 1-fluoroethyl, 1,1- difluoroethyl, 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl, pentafluoroethyl, 3,3,3-trifluoropropyl, 2,2,3,3,3- pentafluoropropyl, 4,4 4-trifluorobutyl and heptafluoroisopropyl. Examples of fluoro- substituted alkyl-O- groups are trifluoromethoxy, 2.2 2-trifluoroethoxy, pentafluoroethoxy and 3,3,3-trifluoropropoxy. Examples of fluoro-substituted alkyl-S(O)m- groups are trifluoromethylsulfanyl- (CF3-S-), trifluoromethanesulfinyl- (CF5-S(0)-) and trifluoromethanesulfonyl (CF3-S(0)2-).

The above explanations with respect to alkyl groups apply correspondingly to unsaturated hydrocarbon residues, i.e. alkenyl groups, which in one embodiment of modules, the above-described MPPT control is required to be performed for each of the solar battery modules. For example, if a system includes two solar battery modules each having the curve A and the curve B, the output voltages at the optimum operating points Va and Vb for the maximum output points Pmax and P'max of one solar battery module are different from those of the other solar battery module. If the electric power is extracted from both of the solar battery modules without performing the MPPT control, the output voltage of each solar battery module is the same. Accordingly, even when an operation is performed at Va, Vb, or Vc, for example, generated electric power of each of the solar battery modules deviates from the ‘points Pmax and P'max, and a total sum of the generated electric power is not the maximum. Therefore, in order to perform the operation so ‘that the total sum of the generated electric power is the maximum, the output voltages are required to be individually adjusted by performing the MPPT control for each of the solar battery modules, and the operation is required to be performed at

Va for the curve A, and at Vb for the curve B.

In Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication

No. 2013-101498, it is possible to individually adjust the output voltage of each of the solar battery modules, and to maximally use the generated electric output of each of the solar battery modules.

However, in the technique described in Japanese

Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-101498, since the MPPT control is performed only by using each boost chopper circuit, dependency on an operation of the boost chopper circuit is high. Accordingly, when the generated electric power of a solar battery of each input system changes, for example, there is a problem in that the change may the invention contain one double bond, and alkynyl groups, which in one embodiment of the invention contain one triple bond. Thus, for example, alkenyl groups and alkynyl groups can likewise be linear or branched, and substituted alkenyl and alkynyl groups can be substituted in any positions, provided that the resulting compound is sufficiently stable and is suitable as a pharmaceutical active compound.

Double bonds and triple bonds can be present in any positions. The number of carbon atoms in an alkenyl or alkynyl group can be 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, for example 2, 3, 4 or 5. Examples of alkenyl and alkynyl are ethenyl (vinyl), prop-1-enyl, prop-2-enyl (allyl), but-2-enyl, 2-methylprop-2-enyl, 3-methylbut-2-enyl, hex-3-enyl, hex-4-enyl, 4- methylhex-4-enyl, prop-1-ynyl, prop-2-ynyl (propargyl), but-2-ynyl, but-3-ynyl, 4- methylpent-2-ynyl, hex-4-ynyl and hex-5-ynyl. In one embodiment of the invention, an alkenyl or alkynyl group contains at least three carbon atoms and is bonded to the remainder of the molecule via a carbon atom which is not part of a double bond or triple bond.

The above explanations with respect to alkyl groups apply correspondingly to alkanediyl groups (divalent alkyl groups) including chains of one or more groups

C(R?)(R®) which latter groups as such and chains of such groups are alkanediyl groups in case R?® is chosen from hydrogen and (C+-Ca)-alkyl, or are substituted alkanediyl groups in case any of the groups R? has a meaning different from hydrogen and (C;-Cg)-alkyl. Likewise, the alkyl part of a substituted alkyl group can also be regarded as an alkanediyl group. Thus, alkanediyl groups can also be linear or branched, the bonds to the adjacent groups can be located in any positions and can start from the same carbon atom or from different carbon atoms, and they can be substituted by fluorine substituents. Examples of alkanediyl groups are -CHaz-, : -CH,-CHy-, -CH2-CH32-CHj-, -CH-CH2-CH,-CHo-, -CH,-CH2-CH2-CH2-CHaz-, -CH(CHa)-, -C(CH3)2-, -CH(CH3)-CHa-, -CH2-CH(CH3)-, -C(CHa)2-CH2-, -CH,-C(CHa)2-. Examples of fluoro-substituted alkanediyl groups, which can contain 12, 3, 4, 5 or 6 fluorine substituents, for example, are -CHF-, -CF,-, -CF,-CHa-, -CH,-CF,-, -CF5-CFy-, -CF(CH3)-, -C(CF3)2-, -C(CH3)2-CF2-, -CF,-C(CHa).-. Further, the above explanations apply correspondingly to divalent residues of unsaturated hydrocarbons, i.e. unsaturated alkanediyl groups such as alkenediy! groups and alkynediyl groups, which groups can occur in the group R?3 in case two adjacent groups C(R%)(R%) are connected to each other by a double bond or triple bond and which groups in one embodiment of the invention contain one double bond or one triple bond, respectively, which can be present in any positions, and which groups are optionally substituted by fluorine substituents. Examples of such unsaturated divalent groups are -CH=CH-, -CH,-CH=CH-, -CH=CH-CHo-, -CH,-CH=CH-CHg3-, -C=C-, -CHy-C=C-, -C=C-CHp-, -C(CHa),-C=C-, -C=C-C(CHs)2-, -CH,-C=C-CHo-.

The number of ring carbon atoms in a (C3-Cy)-cycloalkyl group can be 3,4,5,6o0r7.

Examples of cycloalkyl are cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl and cycloheptyl. Cycloalkyl groups which are optionally substituted by one or more (Cs-

C.)-alkyl substituents, can be unsubstituted, i.e. not carry alkyl substituents, or substituted, for example by 1, 2, 3 or 4 identical or different (C4-Ca)-alkyl substituents, for example by methyl groups, which substituents can be located in any positions.

Examples of such alkyl-substituted cycloalkyl groups are 1-methylcyclopropyl, 2,2- dimethylcyclopropyl, 1-methylcyclopentyl, 2,3-dimethylcyclopentyl, 1- methylcyclohexyl, 4-methylcyclohexyl, 4-isopropylcyclohexyl, 4-tert-butylcyclohexyl and 3,3,5,5-tetramethylcyclohexyl. Cycloalkyl groups which are optionally substituted by one or more fluorine substituents, can be unsubstituted, i.e. not carry fluorine substituents, or substituted, for example by 1,2, 3,4, 5,6,7,8,9, 10 or 11 fluorine substituents, or by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 fluorine substituents. The fluorine substituents can be located in any positions of the cycloalkyl group and can also be located in an alkyl substituent on the cycloalkyl group. Examples of fluoro-substituted cycloalkyl groups are 1-fluorocyclopropyl, 2,2-difluorocyclopropyl, 3,3-difluorocyclobutyl, 1- fluorocyclohexyl, 4,4-difluorocyclohexyl and 3,3,4,4,5,5-hexafluorocyclohexyl.

Cycloalkyl groups can also be substituted simultaneously by fluorine and alkyl.

Examples of the group (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl-(C-Cq)-alkyl- are cyclopropylmethyl-, cyclobutylmethyl-, cyclopentylmethyl-, cyclohexylmethyl-, cycloheptylmethyl-, 1- cyclopropylethyl-, 2-cyclopropylethyl-, 1-cyclobutylethyl-, 2-cyclobutylethyl-, 1- cyclopentylethyl-, 2-cyclopentylethyl-, 1-cyclohexylethyl-, 2-cyclohexylethyl-, 1- cycloheptylethyl-, 2-cycloheptylethyl-. The explanations with respect cycloalkyl groups apply correspondingly to unsaturated cycloalkyl groups such as cycloalkenyl groups which can occur in the group R?* and which in one embodiment of the invention contain one double bond which can be present in any positions, and divalent cycloalkyl groups (cycloalkanediyl groups), which latter groups can occur in case two of the groups R? together with the comprised chain members form a ring.

Likewise, the cycloalkyl part of a substituted cycloalkyl group can also be regarded as a cycloalkanediyl group. Thus, for example, the bonds through which a cycloalkanediyl group, such as a ring formed by two of the groups R? together with the comprised chain members, is connected to the adjacent groups, can be located in any positions and can start from the same ring carbon atom or from different ring carbon atoms.

In substituted phenyl groups, including phenyl groups which represent the 3- membered to 10-membered, monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic ring representing R%, the substituents can be located in any positions. in monosubstituted phenyl groups, the substituent can be located in the 2-position, the 3-position or the 4-position. In disubstituted phenyl groups, the substituents can be located in 2,3-position, 2,4- position, 2,5-position, 2,6-position, 3,4-position or 3,5-position. In trisubstituted phenyl groups, the substituents can be located in 2,3,4-position, 2,3,5-position, 2,3,6- position, 2,4,5-position, 2,4,6-position or 3,4,5-position. If a phenyl group carries four substituents, some of which can be fluorine atoms, for example, the substituents can be located in 2,3,4,5-position, the 2,3,4,6-position or 2,3,5,6-position. If a polysubstituted phenyl group or any other polysubstituted group such as a heteroaryl group carries different substituents, each substituent can be located in any suitable position, and the present invention comprises all positional isomers. The number of substituents in a substituted phenyl group can be 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. In one embodiment of the invention, a substituted phenyl group, and likewise another substituted group such as a heteroaryl group, carries 1, 2 or 3, for example 1 or 2, identical or different substituents.

In heterocyclic groups, including the groups Het, Het' and Het? and heterocyclic rings which can be present in structural elements in the compounds of the formula I such as the ring A or the 3-membered to 10-membered ring representing R?* or a ring formed by a group R* and a group R?® together with the comprised chain members, for example, the hetero ring members specified in the respective definition can be present in any combination and located in any suitable ring positions, provided that the resulting group and the compound of the formula | are sufficiently stable and suitable as a pharmaceutical active compound. In one embodiment of the invention two oxygen atoms in any heterocyclic ring in the compounds of the formula | cannot be present in adjacent ring positions. In another embodiment two hetero ring members from the series consisting of O, S and N atoms carrying a hydrogen atom or a substituent, cannot be present in adjacent ring positions. Examples of such series are the hetero ring members O, 'S and N(R®), or O, S and N(R*), or O, S and

N(R). In another embodiment of the invention two hetero ring members from the series consisting of S(O) and S(O), cannot be present in adjacent ring positions. In an aromatic heterocyclic ring the choice of hetero ring members and their positions is limited by the prerequisite that the ring is aromatic, i.e. it comprises a cyclic system of 16 six delocalized pi electrons. The residue of a monocyclic, 5-membered or 6- membered, aromatic heterocyclic ring, which can occur in the groups Het, Het? and the 3-membered to 10 membered ring representing R?*, for example, can also be designated as monocyclic, 5-membered or 6-membered heteroaryl group. The ring nitrogen atom in such a heteroaryl group which carries the group R* or R®, respectively, is the ring nitrogen atom in a 5-membered ring such as pyrrole, pyrazole, imidazole or triazole to which an exocyclic atom or group such as a hydrogen atom is bonded, and can be present once only in a 5-membered aromatic ring just as the hetero ring members O and S. Examples of rings from which such a heteroaryl group can be derived are pyrrole, furan, thiophene, imidazole, pyrazole, triazoles including [1,2,3]triazole and [1,2 4]triazole, oxazole ([1,3]oxazole), isoxazole ([1,2]Joxazole), thiazole ([1,3]thiazole), isothiazole ([1,2]thiazole), oxadiazoles including [1,2,4]oxadiazole, [1,3,4]oxadiazole and [1,2,5]oxadiazole, thiadiazoles including [1,3,4]thiadiazole, pyridine, pyridazine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, triazines including [1,2,3]triazine, [1,2,4]triazine and [1,3,5]triazine. These explanations with respect to monocyclic, 5-membered or 6-membered heteroaryl groups apply correspondingly to the monocyclic, 5-membered or 6-membered, aromatic heterocyclic ring representing the ring A in formula | in which the ring nitrogen atom carrying the group R? can likewise be present once only in a 5-membered ring such as pyrrole, pyrazole or imidazole. Just so, the hetero ring members O and S can be present once only in the ring A. In one embodiment of the invention, a monocyclic, 5- membered or 6-membered heteroaryl group comprises one or two identical or different hetero ring members, in another embodiment of the invention such a heteroaryl group comprises one hetero ring member, which are defined as indicated, and in another embodiment of the invention such a heteroaryl is chosen from thiophenyl, thiazolyl and pyridinyl. A monocyclic, 5-membered or 68-membered heteroaryl group can be bonded via any ring carbon atom or, in the case of a 5- membered ring comprising a hetero ring member N(R®) or N(R), via a ring nitrogen atom, wherein in the latter case the bond via which the heteroaryl group is attached to the remainder of the molecule, replaces the group R* or R®. in one embodiment of the invention, a monocyclic, 5-membered or 6-membered heteroaryl group is bonded via a ring carbon atom. For example, a thiophenyl group (thienyl group) can be thiophen-2-yl (2-thienyl) or thiophen-3-yl (3-thienyl), furanyl can be furan-2-yl or furan-3-yl, pyridinyl (pyridyl) can be pyridin-2-yl, pyridin-3-yl or pyridin-4-yi, pyrazolyl can be 1H-pyrazol-3-yl, 1H-pyrazol-4-yl or 2H-pyrazol-3-yl, imidazoly! can be 1H- imidazol-1-yl, 1H-imidazol-2-yl, 1H-imidazol-4-yl or 3H-imidazolyl-4-y|, thiazolyl can be thiazol-2-yl, thiazol-4-yl or thiazol-5-yI.

In substituted monocyclic, 5-membered or 6-membered heteroaryl groups, the substituents can be located in any positions, for example in a thiophen-2-yl group or a furan-2-yl group in the 3-position and/or in the 4-position and/or in the 5-position, in a thiophen-3-y! group or a furan-3-yl group in the 2-position and/or in the 4-position and/or in the 5-position, in a pyridin-2-yl group in the 3-position and/or in the 4- position and/or in the 5-position and/or in the 6-position, in a pyridin-3-yl group in the 2-position and/or in the 4-position and/or in the 5-position and/or in the 6-position, in a pyridin-4-yl group in the 2-position and/or in the 3-position and/or in the 5-position and/or in the 6-position. In one embodiment of the invention, a substituted monocyclic, 5-membered or 6-membered heteroaryl group is substituted by 1, 2 or 3, for example 1 or 2, identical or different substituents. Generally, besides optionally carrying the substituents indicated in the definition of the group, suitable ring nitrogen atoms in a monocyclic, 5-membered or 6-membered heteroaryl group as well as in other heterocyclic groups, for example in a 3-membered to 10-membered, monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic ring representing R* or in the aromatic ring A of the aromatic ring comprising the groups Y and Z which are depicted in formula I, for example the nitrogen atom in a pyridinyl group or a nitrogen atomina [1,2,5]oxadiazoly! group, can also carry an oxido substituent -O~ and be present as an N-oxide.

The above explanations with respect to monocyclic, 5-membered or 6-membered aromatic heterocyclic groups apply correspondingly to the bicyclic aromatic heterocyclic groups discussed below which can occur in the 3-membered to 10- membered ring representing R?* and which can also be designated as a bicyclic heteroaryl group.

Besides monocyclic, 5-membered or 6-membered, aromatic heterocyclic groups, the group Het comprises monocyclic, 4-membered to 7-membered, partially unsaturated, i.e. non-aromatic, heterocyclic groups and 4-membered to 7-membered, saturated, heterocyclic groups. 4-membered to 7-membered, saturated, heterocyclic groups are also comprised by the group Het'. The rings of the groups Het and Het' thus can be 4-membered, 5-membered, 6-membered or 7-membered, for example 5-membered or 6-membered. In one embodiment of the invention, a partially unsaturated group

Het comprises one or two, in another embodiment one, double bonds within the ring which can be present in any position. In one embodiment of the invention, a 4- membered group Het is saturated. in one embodiment of the invention, a group Het is a 4-membered to 7-membered saturated group or a 5-membered or 6-membered aromatic group, in another embodiment a group Het is a is a 4-membered to 7- membered saturated group, and in another embodiment a group Het is a 5- membered or 6-membered aromatic group. The groups Het and Het! can be bonded via any ring carbon atom or ring nitrogen atom. Examples of groups Het and Het' are azetidiny! including azetidin-1-yl, oxetanyl including oxetan-3-yl, tetrahydrofuranyl including tetrahydrofuran-2-yl and tetrahydrofuran-3-yl, tetrahydrothiophenyl including tetrahydrothiophen-2-yl and tetrahydrothiophen-3-yl, 1-oxo-tetrahydrothiophenyl including 1-oxo-tetrahydrothiophen-2-yl and 1-oxo-tetrahydrothiophen-3-yl, 1,1-dioxo- tetrahydrothiophenyl including 1 1-dioxo-tetrahydrothiophen-2-yl and 1,1-dioxo- tetrahydrothiophen-3-yi, pyrrolidinyl including pyrrolidin-1-yl, pyrrolidin-2-yi and pyrrolidin-3-yl, tetrahydropyranyl including tetrahydropyran-2-yl, tetrahydropyran-3-yl and tetrahydropyran-4-yl, tetrahydrothiopyranyl including tetrahydrothiopyran-2-yl, tetrahydrothiopyran-3-yl and tetrahydrothiopyran-4-yl, piperidinyl including piperidin- 1-yl, piperidin-2-yl, piperidin-3-yl and piperidin-4-yl, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyridinyl including 1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyridin-1-yl, 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridinyl including 1,2,3,6- tetrahydropyridin-1-yl, oxepanyl including oxepan-2-yl, oxepan-3-yl and oxepan-4-yl, azepanyl including azepan-1-yl, azepan-2-yl, azepan-3-yl and azepan-4-yl, 1,3- dioxolanyl including 1,3-dioxolan-2-y! and 1,3-dioxolan-4-yl, imidazolidinyl including imidazolidin-1-yl, imidazolidin-2-yl and imidazolidin-4-yl, [1,3]oxazolidinyl including [1,3]oxazolidin-2-yl, [1 ,3]Joxazolidin-3-yl, [1 ,3Joxazolidin-4-yl and [1 ,3Joxazolidin-5-yl, [1,3]thiazolidinyl including [1 ,3]thiazolidin-2-yl, [1,3]thiazolidin-3-yl, [1,3]thiazolidin-4-y! and [1,3]thiazolidin-5-yl, [1,3]dioxanyl including [1,3]dioxan-2-yl, [1,3]dioxan-4-yl and [1,3]dioxan-5-yl, [1,4]dioxanyl including [1 ,4]dioxan-2-yl, piperazinyl including piperazin-1-yl and piperazin-2-yl, morpholinyl including morpholin-2-yl, morpholin-3-yl and morpholin-4-yl, thiomorpholinyl including thiomorpholin-2-yl, thiomorpholin-3-yl and thiomorpholin-4-yl, 1-oxo-thiomorpholinyl including 1-oxo-thiomorpholin-2-yl, 1- oxo-thiomorpholin-3-yl and 1-oxo-thiomorpholin-4-yl, 1,1-dioxo-thiomorpholinyl including 1,1-dioxo-thiomorpholin-2-yl, 1,1-dioxo-thiomorpholin-3-y! and 1,1-dioxo- thiomorpholin-4-yl, [1,3]diazepanyl, [1,4)diazepanyl, [1,4]oxazepanyl or [1,4}thiazepanyl. Besides by oxo groups in the ring members S(O) and S(O)2 and alkyl groups representing R*, the groups Het and Het! are optionally substituted on ring carbon atoms by one or more, for example 1,2, 3,4 0r5,0r1, 2. 30r4,0r1,2 or 3, identical or different substituents as indicated, which can be located in any positions.

The 3-membered to 10-membered, monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic ring which is saturated or unsaturated and which contains 0, 1,2 or 3 identical or different hetero ring members chosen from the series consisting of N, N(R), 0, S, S(O) and S(O), which ring can represent R?*, can comprise 3,4,5,6,7,8,90r 10 ring members. In one embodiment of the invention, a bicyclic and tricyclic ring is fused or bridged. An unsaturated ring can be partially unsaturated and contain, for example, one or two double bonds within the ring, or, in the case of a monocyclic or bicyclic ring, be aromatic in one or both rings, and altogether the number of double bonds within an unsaturated ring can be one, two, three, four or five. In a bicyclic ring, the two individual rings can independently of each other be saturated or partially unsaturated or aromatic, and in a tricyclic ring the individual rings, independently of each other, can in particular be saturated or partially unsaturated. In one embodiment of the invention, a 3-membered or 4-membered ring is saturated. The 3-membered to 10- membered, monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic ring can be a carbocyclic ring, i.e. contain 0 (zero) hetero ring members, or a heterocyclic ring in which hetero ring members can be present as indicated above. In a bicyclic heterocyclic ring one or both individual rings can contain hetero ring members, and in a tricyclic ring one or more individual rings can contain hetero ring members. In case nitrogen atoms are present as hetero ring members in a bicyclic or tricyclic ring, they can also be present at a fusion position or a bridgehead position. The free bond via which the ring is bonded to the group R%, can be located at any suitable ring carbon atom or ring nitrogen atom. in one embodiment of the invention the free bond is located at a ring carbon atom. In general, besides by oxo groups in the ring members S(O) and S(O)2 and substituents R%2 on ring nitrogen atoms, the 3-membered to 10 membered ring is optionally substituted on ring carbon atoms by one or more, for example 1,2,3,40r 5 o0r1,2 30r4,0r1,20r3, identical or different substituents as indicated, which can be located in any positions.

The 3-membered to 10-membered, monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic ring comprises (C5-C7)-cycloalkyl groups, phenyl groups, and monocyclic, 5-membered or 6- membered aromatic heterocyclic groups and monocyclic 4-membered to 7- membered partially unsaturated and saturated groups as are comprised by the definitions of the groups Het, Het' and Het? All these groups thus are examples of the said 3-membered to 10-membered ring, and all explanations given above with respect to these groups apply correspondingly to the said 3-membered to 10- membered ring unless specified otherwise in the definition of the said 3-membered to

10-membered ring. Thus, for example, the substituents in these groups, such as in a phenyl group which represents the said 3.membered to 10-membered ring, orin a monocyclic 5-membered or 6-membered aromatic heterocyclic group representing the group Het or Het? which represents the said 3-membered to 10-membered ring, can then be as is specified in the definition of R24. As further examples of cyclic groups which are comprised by the said 3-membered to 10-membered ring, (Cs-C7)- cycloalkenyl groups, naphthalenyl groups and hydrogenated naphthalenyl groups, indenyl groups and hydrogenated indenyl groups, bicyclic heterocyclic groups, and bicycloalkyl, bicycloalkeny! and tricycloalkyl groups and hetero analogs thereof may be mentioned.

In a (Cs-C7)-cycloalkenyl group representing R?* the number of ring carbon atoms can be 5, 6 or 7. Examples of cycloalkenyl! groups are cyclopentenyl including cyclopent-1-enyl, cyclopent-2-enyl and cyclopent-3-enyl, cyclohexyl including cyclohex-1-enyl, cyclohex-2-enyl and cyclohex-3-enyl, and cycloheptyl including cyclohept-1-enyl, cyclohept-2-enyl, cyclohept-3-enyl and cyclohept-4-enyl.

Cycloalkenyl groups representing R24 can be unsubstituted or substituted as indicated with respect to the 3-membered to 10-membered ring representing R24, for example by one or more, or 1,2, 3 or 4, or 1,2 or 3, identical or different (C4-Cq)-alkyl substituents, for example by methyl groups, which can be located in any positions.

Examples of such alkyl-substituted cycloalkenyl groups are 1-methylcyclopent-2-enyl, 1-methylcyclopent-3-enyl, 2,3-dimethylcyclohex-2-enyl and 3 4-dimethylcyclohex-3- enyl. Cycloalkenyl groups also are optionally substituted by one or more fluorine substituents, i.e., they can be unsubstituted by fluorine and not carry any fluorine substituents, or substituted, for example by 1,2,3,4,5,6 or 7, or by 1,2,3,40r5, or by 1, 2, 3 or 4, fluorine substituents. Cycloalkenyl groups can also be substituted simultaneously by fluorine and alkyl. The fluorine atoms can be located in any positions of the cycloalkenyl group and can also be located in an alkyl substituent on the cycloalkenyl group. Examples of fluoro-substituted cycloalkyl groups are 1- fluorocyclohex-2-enyl, 1-fluorocyclohex-3-enyl and 4 4-difluorocyclohex-2-enyl.

Naphthalenyl groups (naphthyl groups) representing R%* can be naphthalen-1-yl (1- naphthyl) and naphthalen-2-yl (2-naphthyl) groups, and are optionally substituted by one or more, for example by 1, 2, 3,4 or 5, or by 1, 2 or 3, for example by 1 or 2, identical or different substituents as indicated above. The substituents in a substituted naphthalenyl group can be located in any positions, for example in the 2- position, 3-position, 4-position, 5-position, 6-position, 7-position or 8-position in the case of a monosubstituted naphthalen-1-yl group and in the 1-position, 3-position, 4- position, 5-position, 6-position, 7-position or 8-position in the case of a monosubstituted naphthalen-2-yl group. Likewise, in a naphthalenyl group which carries two or more substituents, the substituents can be located in the ring to which the remainder of the molecule is bonded, and/or in the other ring. Examples of hydrogenated naphthalenyl groups representing R** are dihydronaphthalenyl including 1,4-dihydronaphthalenyl, tetrahydronaphthalenyl including 1,2,3,4- tetrahydronaphthalenyl and 5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthalenyl, octahydronaphthaienyl including 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydronaphthalenyl, and decahydronaphthalenyl.

Hydrogenated naphthaleny! groups can be bonded to the remainder of the molecule via any ring carbon atom in a saturated or partially unsaturated or aromatic ring and are optionally substituted by one or more, for example by 1, 2, 3,4 or 5, orby 1, 2 or 3, for example by 1 or 2, identical or different substituents as indicated above which can be located in any positions.

Indenyl groups representing R* can be 1H-inden-1-yl, 1H-inden-2-yl, 1H-inden-3-yl, 1H-inden-4-yl, 1H-inden-5-yl, 1H-inden-6-yl or 1H-inden-7-yl, for example, and are optionally substituted by one or more, for example by 1, 2, 3,4 or 5, orby 1, 2 0r 3, for example by 1 or 2, identical or different substituents as indicated above which can be located in any positions. Examples of hydrogenated indenyl groups representing

R?* are indany! (2,3-dihydro-1H-indenyl) and octahydro-1H-indenyl, which can be bonded to the remainder of the molecule via any ring carbon atom in a saturated or partially unsaturated or aromatic ring, for example via the 1-position, 2-position, 4- position or 5-position in the case of an indanyl group, and are optionally substituted by one or more, for example by 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, or by 1, 2 or 3, for example by 1 or 2,

influence the total sum of the generated electric power.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a power converter which can extract generated electric power of all of the solar battery modules securely and maximally, in a solar battery power generation system having a plurality of solar battery modules, in order to solve the above-described problem in the related art.

The power converter according to the invention for achieving the above-described goal includes a plurality of

DC/DC converters, a DC/AC inverter, and a maximum power point control unit.

Each of the plurality of DC/DC converters is provided independently for a corresponding one of a plurality of solar battery modules. Each DC/DC converter converts an output voltage of the solar battery module into a desired voltage.

The DC/AC inverter converts DC power output by the plurality of DC/DC converters into AC power.

The maximum power point control unit performs maximum power point control with respect to each of the DC/DC converters and the DC/AC inverter.

Since the maximum power point control unit performs the maximum power point control for the plurality of DC/DC converters and the DC/AC inverter, the power converter according to the invention can maximally extract the generated electric power of all of the solar battery modules.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic identical or different substituents as indicated above which can be located in any positions.

In one embodiment of the invention, bicyclic heterocyclic groups representing R?* are fused bicyclic groups in which the two rings have a bond in common, and can be saturated, partially unsaturated or aromatic as indicated above with respect to the 3- membered to 10-membered ring representing R** in general. They can contain 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 double bonds within the rings. Both of the rings can be saturated, or one of the rings can be saturated or partially unsaturated and the other ring partially unsaturated or aromatic, or both rings can be aromatic, i.e. comprise a cyclic system of six delocalized pi electrons. In one embodiment of the invention, both rings are aromatic or one of the rings is aromatic and the other ring is partially unsaturated and comprises at least one double bond due to the condensation to the aromatic ring. In one embodiment of the invention, a bicyclic heterocyclic group comprises 8, 9 or 10 ring members and two fused 5-membered rings or two fused 6-membered rings or a 6-membered ring fused to a 5-membered ring or a 7-membered ring fused to a 5- membered ring, in another embodiment 9 or 10 ring members and two fused 6- membered rings or a 6-membered ring fused to a 5-membered ring. Hetero ring members can be present in both rings of a bicyclic heterocyclic group or in one of the rings only and the other ring contain no hetero ring members. Ring nitrogen atoms can also be common to both rings. Besides being a hetero ring member in other 3- membered to 10-membered rings representing R** such as saturated rings, a fing nitrogen atom carrying a group R*2 can be the ring nitrogen atom in a fused 5- membered ring in an aromatic bicyclic heterocyclic group, such as in a fused pyrrole, pyrazole, imidazole or triazole, to which an exocyclic atom or group is bonded.

Examples of rings from which a fused bicyclic heterocyclic group can be derived, are indole, isoindole, benzo[bjthiophene, benzofuran, benzo[1,3]dioxole ([1,3]benzodioxole, 1,2-methylenedioxybenzene), benzo[1,3]oxazole, benzo[1,3]thiazole, benzoimidazole, chromane, isochromane, benzo[1,4]dioxane ([1.4]benzodioxane, 1,2-ethylenedioxybenzene), quinoline, isoquinoline, cinnoline, quinazoline, quinoxaline, phthalazine, pyrroloazepines, imidazoazepines, thienothiophenes, thienopyrroles, thienopyridines, naphthyridines, and the respective rings in which one or some or all of the double bonds are hydrogenated, i.e. replaced with single bonds, such as 2,3-dihydro-1H-indole, 2,3-dihydro-1H-isoindole, 2,3- dihydrobenzofuran, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoline, 5,6,7,8-tetrahydroquinoline, decahydroquinoline, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline, 5.6,7,8-tetrahydroisoquinoline, decahydroisoquinoline, for example. A bicyclic heterocyclic group can be bonded via any ring carbon atom or ring nitrogen atom. In one embodiment of the invention, a bicyclic heteroaromatic group is bonded via a ring carbon atom. For example, an indolyl group can be indol-1-yl, indol-2-yl, indol-3-yl, indol-4-yl, indol-5-yl, indol-6- or indol-7-yl, a benzoimidazolyl group can be 1H-benzoimidazol-1-yl, 1H- benzoimidazol-2-yl, 1H-benzoimidazol-4-yl, 1H-benzoimidazol-5-yl, 1H- benzoimidazol-6-yl or 1H-benzoimidazol-7-yl, a benzo[1 ,4]dioxanyl group can be benzo[1,4]dioxan-2-yl, benzo[1,4]dioxan-5-yl or benzo[1 ,4]dioxan-6-yl, a quinolinyl group (quinolyl group) can be quinolin-2-yi, quinolin-3-yl, quinolin-4-yl, quinolin-5-yl, quinolin-6-yl, quinolin-7-yl or quinolin-8-yl, an isoquinolinyl group can be isoquinolin- 1-yl, isoquinolin-3-yl, isoquinolin-4-yl, isoquinolin-5-yl, isoquinolin-6-yl, isoquinolin-7-yl or isoquinolin-8-yl. In a substituted bicyclic heteroaromatic group, the substituents can be located in any desired positions such as, for example, in an indol-2-yt group in the 1-position and/or the 3-position and/or the 4-position and/or the 5-position and/or the 6-position and/or the 7-position, in an indol-5-yl group in the 1-position and/or the 2-position and/or the 3-position and/or the 4-position and/or the 6-position and/or the 7-position, in a 1H-benzoimidazol-2-yi group in the 1-position and/or the 4-position and/or the 5-position and/or the 6-position and/or the 7-position. Generally, besides the substituents indicated above, a bicyclic heterocyclic group can also carry on suitable ring nitrogen atoms in aromatic rings, for example the nitrogen atom ina quinolinyl group or isoquinolinyl group, an oxido substituent -O~ and be present as an

N-oxide.

In one embodiment of the invention, bicycloalkyl, bicycloalkenyl and tricycloalkyl groups representing R?* are bridged 6-membered to 10-membered, in another embodiment 7-membered to 10-membered, bicyclic and tricyclic groups which can contain carbon atoms only as ring members, i.e. they can be derived from carbocyclic bicycloalkanes, bicycloalkenes and tricycloalkanes, or which can also

CT

26 contain hetero ring members as indicated above, i.e. they can be derived from the respective heteroanalogous aza-, oxa- and thia-bicycloalkanes, -bicycloalkenes and-tricycloalkanes. If they contain hetero ring members, in one embodiment they contain one or two hetero ring members, in another embodiment one hetero ring member, for example ring members chosen from the series consisting of N, N(R?) and O. The hetero ring members can be present in any desired positions in the - bicyclic or tricyclic system including positions in the bridges and, in the case of nitrogen atoms, positions at the bridgeheads. Bicycloalkeny! and their hetero analogs can contain one or more double bonds within the rings. In one embodiment of the invention they contain one or two double bonds, in another embodiment one double bond, within the ring. Bicycloalkyl, bicycloalkenyl and tricycloalkyl can be bonded to the remainder of the molecule via any ring carbon atom or ring nitrogen atom. The free bond can be located in any stereochemical position, for example in an exo position or an endo position. Bicycloalkyl, bicycloalkenyl and tricycloalkyl and their hetero analogs are optionally substituted as indicated above, for example by substituents chosen from the series consisting of (C1-Ca)-alkyl, (C2-Cs)-alkenyl, HO-,

HO-CH,- (hydroxymethyl-) and oxo, in any positions. Examples of bicycloalkyl, bicycloalkenyl and tricycloalkyl groups and hetero analogs thereof are norbornyl (bicyclo[2.2.1]heptyl), bicyclo[3.1.1]heptyl, bicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-enyl, bicyclo[2.2.2]octyl, bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-enyl, bicyclo[3.2.1]octyl, 7- azabicylo[2.2.1]heptyl, 1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octyl, bicyclo[2.2.2.]Joct-2-en-yl, tricyclo[4.4.0.0%®|decyl), adamantyl (tricyclo[3.3.1.1%"1decyl), noradamantyl (tricyclo[3.3.1.037Jnonyl), tricyclo[2.2.1.0*heptyl.

Halogen is fluorine, chlorine, bromine or iodine. In one embodiment of the invention, halogen is fluorine, chlorine or bromine, in another embodiment fluorine or chlorine.

An oxo group, i.e. a doubly bonded oxygen atom, when bonded to a carbon atom, replaces two hydrogen atoms on a carbon atom of the parent system. Thus, if a CH: group is substituted by oxo, it becomes a carbonyl group (C(O), C=0). An oxo group cannot occur as a substituent on a carbon atom in an aromatic ring such asin a phenyl group.

The present invention comprises all stereoisomeric forms of the compounds of the formula |, for example all enantiomers and diastereomers including cis/trans isomers.

The invention likewise comprises mixtures of two or more stereoisomeric forms, for example mixtures of enantiomers and/or diastereomers including cis/trans isomers, in all ratios. Asymmetric centers contained in the compounds of the formula |, for example in unsubstituted or substituted alkyl groups, can all independently of each other have the S configuration or the R configuration. The invention relates to enantiomers, both the levorotatory and the dextrorotatory antipode, in enantiomerically pure form and essentially enantiomerically pure form and in the form of racemates and in the form of mixtures of the two enantiomers in all ratios. The invention likewise relates to diastereomers in the form of pure and essentially pure diastereomers and in the form of mixtures of two or more diastereomers in all ratios.

The invention also comprises all cis/trans isomers of the compounds of the formula in pure form and essentially pure form and in the form of mixtures of the cis isomer and the trans isomer in all ratios. Cis/trans isomerism can occur in substituted rings and on double bonds, for example. The preparation of individual stereoisomers, if desired, can be carried out by resolution of a mixture according to customary methods, for example, by chromatography or crystallization, or by use of stereochemically uniform starting compounds in the synthesis or by stereoselective reactions. Optionally, before a separation of stereoisomers a derivatization can be carried out. The separation of a mixture of stereoisomers can be carried out at the stage of the compound of the formula | or at the stage of an intermediate in the course of the synthesis. The invention also comprises all tautomeric forms of the compounds of the formula I.

Physiologically acceptable salts, including pharmaceutically utilizable salts, of the compounds of the formula | generally comprise a nontoxic salt component. They can contain inorganic or organic salt components. Such salts can be formed, for example, from compounds of the formula | which contain an acidic group, for example a carboxylic acid group (hydroxycarbonyl group, HO-C(O)-), and nontoxic inorganic or organic bases. Suitable bases are, for example, alkali metal compounds or alkaline earth metal compounds, such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, sodium carbonate or sodium hydrogencarbonate, or ammonia, organic amino compounds and quaternary ammonium hydroxides.

Reactions of compounds of the formula | with bases for the preparation of the salts are in general carried out according to customary procedures in a solvent or diluent.

Examples of salts of acidic groups thus are sodium, potassium, magnesium or calcium salts or ammonium salts which can also carry one or more organic groups on the nitrogen atom.

Compounds of the formula | which contain a basic, i.e. protonatable, group, for example an amino group . or a basic heterocycle, can be present in the form of their acid addition salts with physiologically acceptable acids, for example as salt with hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide, phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid, acetic acid, benzoic acid, methanesulfonic acid, p-toluenesulfonic acid, which in general can be prepared from the compounds of the formula | by reaction with an acid in a solvent or diluent according to customary procedures.

If the compounds of the formula | simultaneously contain an acidic and a basic group in the molecule, the invention also includes internal salts (betaines, zwitterions) in addition to the salt forms mentioned.

The present invention also comprises all salts of the compounds of the formula | which, because of low physiological tolerability, are not directly suitable for use as a pharmaceutical, but are suitable as intermediates for chemical reactions or for the preparation of physiologically acceptable salts, for example by means of anion exchange or cation exchange.

The present invention also comprises all solvates of the compounds of the formula | and their salts, including physiologically acceptable solvates, such as hydrates, i.e. adducts with water, and adducts with alcohols like (C1-Ca)-alkanols, as well as active metabolites of compounds of the formula | and prodrugs of the compounds of the formula I, i.e. compounds which in vitro may not necessarily exhibit pharmacological activity but which in vivo are converted into pharmacologically active compounds of the formula |, for example compounds which are converted by metabolic hydrolysis into a compound of the formula 1, such as compounds in which a carboxylic acid group is present in esterified form or in the form of an amide.

As indicated above, the hetero ring members in the ring A, which ring includes the two carbon atoms which also are part of the fused 5-membered ring depicted in formula | carrying the groups R® to R®, can be present in any combination and can be located in any suitable position. For example, in the case of a pyridine ring or a thiophene representing A, the ring nitrogen atom or sulfur atom can be presentin a position which is adjacent to the said 5-membered ring, or in a position which is not adjacent to the said 5-membered ring. In case the ring Ais a 6-membered heterocyclic ring which comprises two hetero ring members N, for example, both hetero ring members can be present in the two positions adjacent to the said 5- membered ring and the 6-membered ring be a pyrazine ring, or one of them can be present in a position adjacent to the said 5-membered ring and the other in a non- adjacent position and the 6-membered ring be a pyrimidine ring or a pyridazine ring, or both hetero ring members can be present in non-adjacent positions and the 6- membered ring be a pyridazine ring. In one embodiment of the invention, the hetero ring members in a heterocyclic ring representing A are chosen from Nand S, in another embodiment they are N. In one embodiment of the invention, a cycloalkane ring representing A is 5-membered, 6-membered or 7-membered, in another embodiment 5-membered or 6-membered, in another embodiment 6-membered, and the cycloalkane ring thus is a cyclopentane, cyclohexane or cycloheptane ring which can allbe substituted as indicated. In one embodiment of the invention the ring A is a cyclohexane ring, a benzene ring, a pyridine ring, a pyrazine ring or a monocyclic 5- membered aromatic heterocyclic ring comprising 1 or 2 identical or different hetero ring members chosen from the series consisting of N, N(R"), O and S, for example 1 hetero ring member chosen from the series consisting of N(R"), O and S, suchas a thiophene ring, which rings can all be optionally substituted as indicated. In another embodiment the ring A is a benzene ring, a pyridine ring, a pyrazine ring or a monocyclic 5-membered aromatic heterocyclic ring comprising 1 or 2 identical or different hetero ring members chosen from the series consisting of N, N(R", O and

S, for example 1 hetero ring member chosen from the series consisting of N(R"), O and S, such as a thiophene ring, which rings can all be optionally substituted as indicated. In another embodiment the ring A is a benzene ring or a monocyclic 5- membered aromatic heterocyclic ring comprising 1 or 2 identical or different hetero ring members chosen from the series consisting of N, N(R"), O and S, for example 1 hetero ring member chosen from the series consisting of N(R"), Oand S, such as a thiophene ring, which rings can all be optionally substituted as indicated. In another embodiment the ring A is a benzene ring, a pyrazine ring or a thiophene ring, in another embodiment a benzene ring or a thiophene ring, which rings can all be optionally substituted as indicated. in another embodiment of the invention, the ring A is a benzene ring which is optionally substituted as indicated. In another embodiment of the invention, the ring A is a cycloalkane ring which is optionally substituted as indicated.

The number of the substituents which can optionally be present on the ring A, depends on the size and the kind of the ring A and the number of hetero ring members. In one embodiment of the invention the number of optional substituents is 1, 2, 3 or 4, in another embodiment 1, 2 or 3, in another embodiment 1 or 2, in another embodiment 1. For example, in the case of a benzene ring representing A, which ring can be unsubstituted or substituted, the number of optional substituents canbe 1,2, 30r4,0or1, 2or3, or 1or2, forexample 1. In the case of a pyridine ring, the number of optional substituents can be 1,2 or 3, or 1 or 2, for example 1, in the case of pyrazine ring, it can be 1 or 2, for example 1, in the case of a thiophene ring it canbe 1 or 2, for example 1, in the case of a thiazole ring it can be 1. In one embodiment of the invention, a cycloalkane ring representing A is not substituted by any substituents. In another embodiment of the invention the ring A is not substituted by any substituents and the ring carbon atoms thus carry hydrogen atoms.

Substituents on the ring A can be present in any suitable position. In one embodiment of the invention, in compounds of the formula 1 in which the ring Ais an optionally substituted benzene ring, the substituents which are optionally present in positions 5 and 6 of the indane ring comprising the said benzene ring representing A, are chosen from the series consisting of halogen, R', HO-, R'-0-, R'-C(0)-O-, R'-

S(0)2-0-, R"-8(O)m-, HoN-, R™-NH-, R™-N(R")-, R'-C(0)-NH-, R'-C(0)-N(R™")-, R'-

S(0)-NH-, R-S(0)-NR™")-, R™-C(0)-, HO-C(O)-, R'-0-C(0)-, HN-C(O)-, R'-NH-

C(O)-, R'-N(R")-C(O)-, HaN-S(0)-, R'-NH-S(0)2-, R™-N(R")-S(0)2-, NC- and ON-. In another embodiment of the invention, in compounds of the formula | in which the ring

A is an optionally substituted benzene ring, the substituents which are optionally present in the ring A are chosen from the series consisting of halogen, R', HO-,

R'-0-, R'-C(0)-0-, R'-5(0)2-O-, R'-S(O)m-, H2N-, R'-NH-, R'-N(R")-, R'-C(O)-NH-,

R'-C(0)-N(R")-, R'-8(0)2-NH-, R'-S(0)2-N(R"")-, R'-C(0)-, HO-C(O)-, R'-0-C(O)-,

H,N-C(O)-, R'-NH-C(0)-, R'-N(R")-C(0)-, HaN-S(0)s-, R'-NH-S(0)2-, R™-N(R")-

S(0)2-, NC- and O;N-. In another embodiment of the invention, the substituents in a benzene ring or a heterocyclic ring representing A are chosen from the series consisting of halogen, R', HO-, R'-O-, R'-C(0)-0-, R"-5(0)2-O-, R'-S(O)m-, H2N-,

R-NH-, R"-N(R")-, R'-C(O)-NH-, R'-C(O)-N(R™")-, R'-S(0)2-NH-, R-S(0)-N(R")-,

R'-C(0)-, HO-C(0)-, R'-0-C(0)-, H2N-C(0)-, R'-NH-C(O)-, R'-N(R")-C(0)-,

HoN-S(0)s-, R'-NH-S(0)z-, R™-N(R")-S(0)2-, NC- and O2N-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen, R', HO-, R'-O-, R'-C(0)-O-, R'-S(O)m-, HzN-,

RLNH-, R-N(R")-, R-C(0)-NH-, R'-C(0)-N(R™")-, R'-S(O)2-NH-, R'-S(0)-N(R™")-,

NC- and O,N-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen, R', R'- 16 O-, R'-S(O)m-, NC- and O2N-, for example from the series consisting of halogen, (C+-

Ca)-alkyl, (C1-Cq)-alkyl-O-, (C1-Ca)-alkyl-S(O)m-, NC- and O;N-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen, R!, R'-0-, R'-S(O)m- and NC-, for example from the series consisting of halogen, (C1-C4)-alkyl, (C4-Ca)-alkyl-O-, (C1-

C4)-alkyl-S(O)m- and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen, R', R'-O- and NC-, for example from the series consisting of halogen, (Cs-

Cas)-alkyl, (C4-Ca)-alkyl-O- and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen, R' and R'-O-, for example from the series consisting of halogen, (C1-C4)- alkyl and (C1-Cg)-alkyl-O-. In one embodiment of the invention the substituents ina benzene ring or a heterocyclic ring representing A are chosen from the series consisting of halogen and (C+-Cy4)-alkyl. In one embodiment of the invention, the number of nitro substituents (O2N-) on the ring A is not greater than two, in another embodiment not greater than one. In one embodiment of the invention, the total number of nitro groups in a compound of the formula | is not greater than two.

In case the ring A is a benzene ring, the compounds of the formula | can also be represented by the formula la,

rR® R* RY 0 v R?’

OL

(RY); Zz R22 la

R%®

R°R° O wherein Y, Z, R® to R®, R? to R22 and R™ are defined as in the compounds of the formula I, R is defined as the substituents which are optionally present in a benzene ring representing the ring A in the compounds of the formula I, i.e. R” is chosen from the series consisting of halogen, R, HO-, R'-0-, R'-C(0)-O-, R'-S(0)2-0-, R'-

S(O)m- HaN-, R1-NH-, R™-N(R")-, R'-C(0)-NH-, R'-C(0)-N(R")-, R'-S(0)z-NH-, R'-

S(0)2-N(R™")-, R'-C(0)-, HO-C(0O)-, R'-0-C(0O)-, H2N-C(O)-, R'-NH-C(0O)-, R'-N(R")-

C(O)-, H2N-S(0)z-, R'-NH-S(0)2-, R'-N(R")-S(0).-, NC-, O2N-, phenyl and Het, or from any of the other series of substituents indicated herein, for example from the series consisting of halogen, (C-Ca)-alkyl, (C4-Ca)-alkyl-O-, (C1-C4)-alkyl-S(O)m- and

NC-, or from the series consisting of halogen and (C1-Ca)-alkyl, and the number ris 0,1,2,30r4,0ris0,1,20r3,0ris0,1or2,oris0or 1. In one embodiment of the invention, the number r in the compounds of the formula la is 0, i.e. the benzene ring depicted in formula la does not carry a substituent R’. The substituents R’ can be present on any of the four carbon atoms of the benzene ring depicted in formula la which are not part of the fused 5-membered ring carrying the groups R3to R®. All other such carbon atoms of the benzene ring which do not carry a substituent R’, carry hydrogen atoms. l.e., in case the number r is 0, for example, the benzene ring carries four hydrogen atoms.

In a similar manner, in case the ring A is a pyridine ring, a pyridazine ring, a thiophene ring, or a cyclohexane ring, for example, the compounds of the formula can be represented by the formulae Ib-1, Ib-2, Ic, Id-1, Id-2 and le,

Rr Rr RY 0 vy Rr?! R® Rr R* 0 V R (RY); bd R% (RY); Z RZ

A Rr A R%

R°R® O R°R® O

Ib-1 ib-2 3 20 21 3 4 p20 Rr?!

RPR'RTO y R RORRTO 7 A N cI ™ N CI (RY) Z 22 R r Ny RE R (R); R%

R°R® O R°R® O lc Id-1 21 2

R),

CS N—L— | nL

Zz 22 22 — R® R (RY); R® z R

R® R® O R® R® O

Id-2 le wherein Y, Z, R® to R?, R% to R? and R* are defined as in the compounds of the formula I, R is defined as the substituents which are optionally present in the ring A in the compounds of the formula |, i.e. in the case of the compounds of the formulae 1b-1, Ib-2, Ic, Id-1 and |d-2 R’ is chosen from the series consisting of halogen, RY,

HO-, R'-O-, R-C(0)-0-, R'-8(0)2-0-, R'-8(O)n-, HzN-, R'-NH-, R'-N(R")-, R'-C(O)-

NH-, R'-C(0)-N(R"")-, R"-S(0)2-NH-, R'-S(0)2-N(R")-, R'-C(O)-, HO-C(O}-, R'-O-

C(O)-, H2N-C(O)-, R'-NH-C(0)-, R'-N(R")-C(O)-, HaN-S(O)z-, R'-NH-S(0)2-, R'-

N(R")-S(0)z-, NC-, O:N-, phenyl and Het, or from any of the other series of substituents indicated herein, for example from the series consisting of halogen, (C+-

configuration of a power converter according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a specific configuration of the power converter according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a maximum power point control unit according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a main flow chart of processing of the maximum power point control unit according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5is a flowchart illustrating switching processing of a task switch.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart illustrating MPPT 0 processing.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating MPPT 1 processing.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating MPPT 2 processing.

FIG. 9 is characteristic curves illustrating MPPT control in the related art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a power converter according to the invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. [Configuration of Power Converter] [Schematic Configuration]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a power converter according to an embodiment.

A power converter 100 includes a DC/DC converter 110, a DC/DC converter 120, a DC/AC inverter 130, a maximum power point control unit 140, and a power control unit 148.

The DC/DC converter 110 is independently connected to a solar battery module 210. The DC/DC converter 110 converts a DC voltage output by the solar battery module 210 into a — § —

Ca)-alkyl, (C4-Cy4)-alkyl-O-, (C1-C4)-alkyl-S(O)m- and NC-, or from the series consisting of halogen and (C4-C,)-alkyl, and in the case of the compounds of the formula le R’ is chosen from the series consisting of fluorine and (C1-Ca)-alkyl, and the number ris 0,1,20r3,0ris 0, 10r2, oris 0 or 1, in the case of the compounds of the formulae |b-1and Ib-2, andis or 0, 1 or 2, oris 0 or 1, in the case of the compounds of the formulae Ic, 1d-1 and Id-2, and is 0, 1,2, 3,4,5,6,70r8,0ris 0, 1, 2, 3or4,oris0, 1 or 2, for example, in the case of the compounds of the formula le. in one embodiment of the invention, the number r in the compounds of the formulae Ib-1, Ib- 2. Ic, Id-1, Id-2 and le is 0, i.e. the pyridine ring, pyridazine ring, thiophene ring and cyclohexane ring depicted in the formulae do not carry a substituent R’. The substituents R’ can be present on any ring carbon atoms, in particular ring carbon atoms which are not part of the fused 5-membered ring carrying the groups R3 to RE.

In positions on ring carbon atoms in which no substituent Ris present, hydrogen atoms are present.

In the group C(R'%)=C(R'®) representing the divalent group Y, the carbon atom carrying the group R'? is bonded to the ring carbon atom carrying the group R?!" and the carbon atom carrying the group R'? is bonded to the ring carbon atom carrying the group C(0)-N(R%). in the group N=C(R'*), the carbon atom carrying the group

RM is bonded to the ring carbon atom carrying the group R?' and the nitrogen atom is bonded to the ring carbon atom carrying the group C(O)-N(R). In the group

C(R™)=N, the nitrogen atom is bonded to the ring carbon atom carrying the group R2! and the carbon atom carrying the group R'is bonded to the ring carbon atom carrying the group C(0)-N(R%). In one embodiment of the invention, Y is chosen from the series consisting S, C(R'2)=C(R"), N=C(R'*) and C(R*)=N, in another embodiment from the series consisting S, C(R'3)=C(R'®) and C(R™)=N. In one embodiment of the invention Y is chosen from the series consisting of S and

C(R')=C(R"®), in another embodiment from the series consisting of C(R'?)=C(R"™) and C(R'%)=N. In another embodiment of the invention, Y is C(R"?)=C(R"). In another embodiment of the invention, Y is C(R'%)=N.

- 35

In one embodiment of the invention, the trivalent group Z is C(R'®). In another embodiment Z is C(R'®) and Y is chosen from the series consisting of S,

C(R')=C(R"™) and C(R"®)=N. In another embodiment Z is C(R'®) and Y is chosen from the series consisting of S and C(R'?)=C(R"3). In another embodiment Z is C(R'®) and Y is chosen from the series consisting of C(R'®)=N and C(R')=C(R"3). In this latter embodiment, the aromatic ring in the compounds of the formula | comprising the ring members Y and Z is a pyridine ring or a benzene ring, respectively, and the compounds of the formula | are compounds of the formula if or of the formula Ig,

R" rR2 R"

R R'R®0 ~ R® R*R®0 }

N \ I N R

R% cs 22 rR de R22

R°R® O R°R® O

If Ig wherein A, R® to R®, R'?, R®, R'5, R'6, R? to R?? and R*° are defined as in the compounds of the formula | or have any of their other indicated meanings. In one embodiment of the invention the group Z is C(R'®) and the group Y is S. In another embodiment of the invention the group Z is C(R'®) and the group Y is C(R'*)=N. In another embodiment of the invention the group Z is C(R'®) and the group Y is

C(R'?)=C(R"), i.e., in this embodiment the compounds of the formula | are compounds of the formula Ig. In another embodiment of the invention, in the compounds of the formula la the group Z is C(R'®) and the group Y is C(R*?)=C(R"), i.e., compounds of this embodiment are compounds of the formula Ih,

rR? R" (R) LLL R th -R% RS R22

R°R° O wherein R® to R®, R'2 R™, R'®, R% to R% and R* are defined as in the compounds of the formula | or have any of their other indicated meanings. R’ and rin the compounds of the formula Ih are defined as in the compounds of the formula la and, like in the compounds of the formula la, the substituents R” can be present on any of the four carbon atoms of the fused benzene ring depicted in formula th which are not part of the fused 5-membered ring carrying the groups R® to R®, and all other such carbon atoms of the benzene ring which do not carry a substituent R’ carry hydrogen atoms. All explanations on groups and all definitions and embodiments specified above or below with respect to the compounds of the formula | apply correspondingly to the compounds of all formulae which represent subgroups of the compounds of the formula |, including the compounds of the formulae la to th.

In one embodiment of the invention, R® is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and (C4-Cy)-alkyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and methyl. In one embodiment of the invention, RO is hydrogen. In another embodiment of the invention R? is (C1-C4)-alkyl, for example methyl.

In one embodiment of the invention, R', R2, R"", R%®, R®, R*, R*, R*, R* and R™® are, independently of each other group R', RZ, R'", R®, R®, R¥, R*, R**, R” and

R% chosen from the series consisting of (C1-Ce)-alkyl, (C2-Ca)-alkenyl, (C2-Ca)- alkynyl, (Cs-Cy)-cycloalkyl and (C3-C)-cycloalkyl-(C4-C2)-alkyl-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C1-Ca)-alkyl, (C2-Cs)-alkenyl, (C2-Ca)- alkynyl, (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl and (C3-C)-cycloalkyl-(C1-Cz)-alkyl-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C;-Ce)-alkyl, (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl and (Cs-

Cr)-cycloalkyl-(C1-Cy)-alkyl-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C+-

Ca)-alkyl, (C3-C7)-cycloalky! and (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl-(C4-C2)-alkyl-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C4-Ce)-alkyl, (C3-Cy)-cycloalkyl and (Cs-

C7)-cycloalkyl-CHa-alkyl-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C+-

Cs)-alkyl and (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C1-C4)-alkyl and (C3-Cy)-cycloalkyl, which are all optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents R’°, wherein in these groups besides any substituents R7° one or more fluorine substituents are optionally present and in cycloalkyl groups one or more (C1-C4)-alkyl substituents are optionally present as applies to alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl and cycloalkyl groups in general. In one embodiment of the invention R', RZ, R"!, R®, R33 R® R* R%, R and R*® are, independently of each other group R', R?, R", R%®, R%, R%, R*, R*, R*” and R*’, chosen from the series consisting of (C4-Cg)-alkyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C1-Ca)-alky!, which are all optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents R7°. In one embodiment of the invention, (C3-Cr)-cycloalkyl groups occurring in R', RZ, R", R%®, R®, R*, R*, R*, R* and R%® are, independently of each other group R', R? R'", R®, R®, R¥, R% R5® R% and R*, (Cs-Ce)-cycloalkyl, in another embodiment (C3-Ca)-cycloalkyl, for example cyclopropyl, in another embodiment (Cs-Ce)-cycloalkyl, for example cyclohexyl. In one embodiment of the invention, the number of substituents R% in any of the groups

R' R%R!" R® R33 R¥ R* R® R% and R%® is, independently of each other group

R' RZ R', R%® R®, R%® R® R% RY and R®, 0, 1,2, 3 or 4, in another embodiment 0, 1, 2 or 3, in another embodiment 0, 1 or 2, in another embodiment 0 or 1. In one embodiment of the invention, any of the groups R', R?, R"", R*, R¥, R¥,

R% R®® R¥ and R%, independently of each other group R', R?, R"!, R%, R3, R®,

R* R¥ RY and R®®, does not carry a substituent R’®, but merely is optionally substituted by one or more fluorine substituents and, in the case of cycloalkyl groups, one or more (C1-C4)-alkyl substituents. In another embodiment of the invention, any of the groups R', R?, R"!, R®, R¥, R%, R%, R®, R* and R®, independently of each other group R', R, R"", R%, R®, R¥ R* R%, R% and R*®, does neither carry a substituent R7® nor fluorine substituents nor, in the case of cycloalkyl groups, (C1-Ca)- alkyl substituents.

In one embodiment of the invention, a phenyl-(C1-C4)-alkyl- group representing R® or

R® is a benzyl group wherein the phenyl moiety is optionally substituted as indicated with respect to phenyl groups in general. In one embodiment of the invention, one of the groups R® and R® is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, (C4-Ca)-alkyl, phenyl-(C4-Cy)-alkyl-, phenyl and hydroxy and the other of the groups R® and R%is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, (C4-C4)-alkyl, phenyl-(C1-C4)-alkyl- and phenyl. In one embodiment of the invention, the groups R® and R® are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, (C4+-Ca)- alkyl, phenyl-(C4-Ca)-alkyl- and phenyl. In another embodiment, R® and R® are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and (Cs-

Ca)-alkyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and methyl.

In another embodiment, R® and R® are hydrogen.

In one embodiment of the invention, R* and R® are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and methyl. In another embodiment,

R* and R® are hydrogen.

In one embodiment of the invention, R® and R* are identical and are chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and methyl, in another embodiment they both are hydrogen. In another embodiment, R5 and R® are identical and are chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and methyl, and in another embodiment they both are hydrogen. In another embodiment R?, R*, R® and RE are all identical and are chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and methyl. In another embodiment R3 R% R® and R® all are hydrogen.

In one embodiment of the invention, R'? is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and methyl. In another embodiment R'® is hydrogen. In another embodiment of the invention R'® is (C1-C4)-alkyl, for example methyl.

In one embodiment of the invention, R'2, R'®, R'* R'® and R'® are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, (C+-Cq)-alkyl, (C1-Ca)-alkyl-O-, (C1-Ca)-alkyl-S(O)m=, HoN-, (C1-Ca)-alkyl-NH-, (C1-Cs)-alkyl-N((C1-

Ca)-alkyl)-, NC- and O;N-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, (C1-Cas)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkyl-O-, NC- and O,N-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, (C1-Ca)-alkyl, (C1-Ca)- alkyl-O- and O;N-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, (C1-Ca)-alkyl, (C1-Ca)-alkyl-O- and NC-, in another embodiment from the : series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, (C+-Cq4)-alkyl and (C1-Ca4)-alkyl-O-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen and (C1-C4)-alkyl. In one embodiment of the invention, R? and R™ are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, (C1-Ca)-alkyl, (C1-Cy)-alkyl-

O- and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, (C4-Cy)-alkyl and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and halogen, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, chlorine and fluorine, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and fluorine.

In one embodiment of the invention, R'? is hydrogen and R' is fluorine or R' is fluorine and R'is hydrogen. In another embodiment R'? and R'® are hydrogen. In one embodiment of the invention, R' and R'S are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, (C1-Ca)-alkyl and (C+1-C4)- alkyl-O-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen and (C4-Cy)-alkyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and halogen, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, chlorine and fluorine. In another embodiment of the invention, R'* and R'® are hydrogen. In one embodiment of the invention, R'® is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, (C1-Ca)-alkyl and (C1-Ca)-alkyl-O-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen and (C1-Ca)-alkyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and halogen, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, chlorine and fluorine. In another embodiment of the invention,

R'® is hydrogen.

In one embodiment of the invention, R?® is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and methyl. In another embodiment R*’ is hydrogen. In another embodiment R? is (C1-Ca)-alkyl, for example methyl.

In one embodiment of the invention the group R?! is a group of the formula Il, i.e. of the formula R%-R%-, which is bonded to the remainder of the molecule through the moiety R? as is symbolized with respect to this group and in general by a terminal hyphen representing the free bond, and the group R?? is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, R¥, HO-, R¥-0-, R¥-C(0)-O-, R*-8(0);-0-, R%-

S(O)m-, HzN-, R®-NH-, R*®-N(R*)-, R*-C(O)-NH-, R¥-C(O)-N(R™")-, R*®-S(0)z-NH-,

R¥-S(0),-N(R"")-, R*-C(O)-, HO-C(O)-, R**-0-C(O)-, H2N-C(O)-, R3°.NH-C(O)-, R¥*-

N(R®)-C(O)-, HaN-5(0)z-, R¥-NH-S(0)z-, R®*-N(R*)-S(0)z-, NC-, O:N- and Het. In another embodiment, the group R? is a group of the formula Il and the group R*' is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, R*’, HO-, R3°-0-, R¥*-C(0)- 0-, R*-5(0)-0-, R®-S(O)m-, HaN-, R¥-NH-, R¥-N(R*)-, R3°.C(0)-NH-, R*-C(O)-

N(R™")-, R®-S(0)-NH-, R®-8(0)-N(R”")-, R®-C(0)-, HO-C(0)-, R*-O-C(O)-, HoN-

C(0)-, R*-NH-C(0)-, R**-N(R*)-C(0)-, H2N-S(0)2-, R3-NH-S(0)z-, R®-N(R%)-

S(O)z-, NC-, O2N- and Het’.

In one embodiment of the invention, the one of the groups R?! and R** which is not a group of the formula Il, is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen,

R% R¥.0-, R¥-C(0)-0-, R¥-§(0)m-, HoN-, R*-NH-, R*-N(R*)-, R3°.C(0)-NH-, R¥-

C(O)- and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, (C4-Cy)-alkyl, HO-(C4-C4)-alkyl-, (C4-Ca)-alkyl-O-, (C1-Ca)-alkyl-S(O)m-, HzN-, (C4-Ca)-alkyl-NH-, di((C1-Ca)-alkyl)N-, (C4-Ca)-alkyl-C(O)- and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, (C1-Ca)-alkyl, HO-(Cs-

Ca)-alkyl-, (C1-Ca)-alkyl-O-, (C1-Ca)-alkyl-S(O)m-, (C1-Ca)-alkyl-C(O)- and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen, (C4-C4)-alkyl, HO-(C4-C4)- alkyl-, (C1-Ca)-alkyl-O-, (C1-Ca)-alkyl-S(O)m-, H2N-, (C1-Ca)-alkyl-NH-, di((C1-Ca)- alkyl)N-, (C4-Cs4)-alkyl-C(O)- and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C1-Ca)-alkyl, HO-(C-Cs)-alkyl-, (C1-Ca)-alkyl-O-, (C1-Ca)-alkyl-S(O)m-,

HoN-, (C4-Cy)-alkyl-NH-, di((C4-C4)-alkyl)N-, (C4-C4)-alkyl-C(O)- and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C1-Ca)-alkyl, HO-(C1-Cg4)-alkyl-, (C1-Ca)- alkyl-O-, (C1-C4)-alkyl-S(O)m-, (C1-Ca)-alkyl-NH-, di((C1-C4)-alkyl)N- and (C4-Ca)-alkyl-

C(O)-. In one embodiment of the invention, the one of the groups R2' and R* which is not a group of the formula II, is chosen from the series consisting of (C1-Ca)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkyl-O-, (C4-Cs)-alkyl-S(O)m-, (C1-C4)-alkyl-NH- and di((C1-Ca)-alkyl)N-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C4-Ca)-alkyl, (C4-C4)-alkyl-O- and (C1-Cq)-alkyl-S(O)m-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C1-Ca)- alkyl-O- and (C;-C)-alkyl-S(O)m-. In another embodiment, the one of the groups R?! and R22 which is not a group of the formula Il, is chosen from the series consisting of (C4-C4)-alkyl, HO-(C4-Cq)-alkyl-, (C4-Cq4)-alkyl-O- and (C1-Ca)-alkyl-C(O)-~, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C1-Ca)-alkyl, HO-(C1-Ca)-alkyl- and (Cs-

C.)-alkyl-O-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C-C4)-alkyl and (C4-Ca)-alkyl-O-. In another embodiment, the one of the groups R?' and R?? which is not a group of the formula Il, is (C1-C4)-alkyl-O-, for example methoxy or ethoxy.

In one embodiment of the invention, in case the group R?' is a group of the formula Ii, the group R? is chosen from the series consisting of (C1-Ca)-alkyl and (C+-Ca)-alkyl- i5 O-, and in another embodiment it is (C4-C4)-alkyl-O-, and in case the group R%is a group of the formula II, the group R?" is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, R%®, HO-, R®-0-, R®-C(0)-0-, R*-§(0)2-0-, R3°-S(0)m-, Hz2N-,

RO.NH-, RP-N(R*)-, R¥-C(0)-NH-, R®-C(0)-N(R"")-, R®-S(0);-NH-, R*-8(0)z-

N(R”")-, R®-C(0)-, HO-C(O)-, R**-0-C(0)-, H2N-C(0)-, R*-NH-C(0)-, R3%-N(R*)- C(O)-, HaN-S(O)z-, R¥-NH-S(0)z-, R*-N(R¥)-S(0);-, NC-, OzN- and Het', or is defined as in any of the embodiments or other definitions of R?! specified herein.

The number of chain members in a chain representing R?* can be 1,2, 3,4 or 5. In one embodiment of the invention, the divalent group R23 is a direct bond, i.e. the group R* is directly bonded to the ring comprising the groups Y and Z which is depicted in formula I. In another embodiment R? is a direct bond or a chain consisting of 1, 2, 3 or 4 chain members. In another embodiment R% is a direct bond or a chain consisting of 2, 3 or 4 chain members, in another embodiment a direct bond or a chain consisting of 2 or 3 chain members, in another embodiment a direct bond or a chain consisting of 3 chain members, wherein in these embodiments the chain members are defined as above or below. In another embodiment R% is a chain consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 chain members, in another embodiment a chain consisting of 1, 2, 3 or 4 chain members, in another embodiment a chain consisting of 2, 3 or 4 chain members, in another embodiment a chain consisting of 2 or 3 chain members, in another embodiment a chain consisting of 3 chain members, wherein in these embodiments the chain members are defined as above or below. In one embodiment of the invention, zero or one of the chain members in a chain representing R® is a hetero chain member, and in another embodiment one of the chain members in a chain representing R? is a hetero chain member, wherein in these embodiments the hetero chain members are defined as above or below. In another embodiment of the invention, none of the chain members in a chain representing R? is a hetero chain member. In one embodiment of the invention, the hetero chain members in a chain representing R* are chosen from the series consisting of N(R?), O, S and S(O).. In another embodiment of the invention, the hetero chain members in a chain representing R are chosen from the series consisting of N(R%), O and S, in another embodiment from the series consisting of

N(R®) and O, in another embodiment from the series consisting of O and S, in another embodiment from the series consisting of N(R?), O and S(O), in another embodiment from the series consisting of N(R?®) and S(O),, in another embodiment from the series consisting of O and S(O),. In another embodiment of the invention, the hetero chain members which can be present in a chain representing R%, are O (oxygen), and in another embodiment the hetero chain members which can be present in a chain representing R%, are N(R%). In another embodiment of the invention, zero or one hetero chain member is present in a chain representing R* which is O (oxygen), and in another embodiment one hetero chain member is present which is O. In another embodiment of the invention, zero or one hetero chain member is present in a chain representing R? which is N(R?®), and in another embodiment one hetero chain member is present which is N(R).

Hetero chain members in a chain representing R?® can be present in any positions of the chain provided that the resulting moiety complies with the prerequisites specified above with respect to R?’ and the compounds of the invention in general. In case two adjacent groups C(R?®)(R?) in a chain representing R? are connected to each other by a double bond or triple bond, in one embodiment of the invention hetero chain members are not present in positions adjacent to such a double bond or triple bond.

Hetero chain members can be present at any one end or at both ends of the chain, and can thus be directly bonded to the group R2* and/or the ring comprising the groups Y and Z which is depicted in formula I, and/or inside the chain. In case one or two hetero chain members are present in a chain representing R23, in one embodiment of the invention at least one of the terminal chain members is a hetero chain member, and in another embodiment the terminal chain member which is bonded to the group R** is a hetero chain member, and in another embodiment the terminal chain member which is bonded to the ring comprising the groups Y and Z is a hetero chain member. in one embodiment of the invention, one of the chain members in a chain representing R% is a hetero chain member and this hetero chain member is the terminal chain member bonded to the group R**. In another embodiment, one of the chain members in a chain representing RZ is a hetero chain member and this hetero chain member is the terminal chain member bonded to the ring comprising the groups Y and Z which is depicted in formula I.

If two adjacent groups C(R?®)(R%) within a chain representing R** are connected to each other by a double bond or a triple bond, the chain thus comprises an unsaturated divalent group of the formula -C(R?)=C(R®)-, wherein R*® is defined as above and in one embodiment of the invention is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and (C1-C4)-alkyl, or an unsaturated group of the formula -C=C-. Chain members which are not connected to each other by a double bond or triple bond, are connected to each other by a single bond. If a double bond is present between two adjacent groups C(R%)(R?), one of the groups R*® in each of the two adjacent groups C(R%)(R%) can be regarded as being a free bond, the two free bonds together then forming a second bond between the respective carbon atoms. If a triple bond is present between two adjacent groups C(R?®)(R*), both groups R% in each of the two adjacent groups C(R%)(R%) can be regarded as being a free bond, the two pairs of free bonds together then forming a second and a third bond between the respective carbon atoms. In one embodiment of the invention, the said unsaturated group is present not more than once in a chain representing R23. The said unsaturated group can be present in any position of a chain representing R* and different desired voltage.

The DC/DC converter 120 is independently connected to a solar battery module 220. The DC/DC converter 120 converts a DC voltage output by the solar battery module 220 into a different desired voltage.

The DC/AC inverter 130 inputs DC power output by the

DC/DC converter 110 and the DC/DC converter 120, and converts the DC power into AC power having a desired frequency. The

AC power converted by the DC/AC inverter 130 is supplied to a commercial power source 230, and is consumed by a load 240 or the like which is connected to a commercial power supply system in parallel.

A power control unit 148 performs basic power control with respect to all of the DC/DC converter 110, DC/DC converter 120, and the DC/AC inverter 130. The maximum power point control unit 140 determines maximum power point control with respect to the DC/DC converter 110 by MPPT 1 processing which will be described later, and performs MPPT by giving a command to the power control unit 148. The maximum power point control unit 140 determines maximum power point control with respect to the DC/DC converter 120 by MPPT 2 processing which will be described later, and performs MPPT by giving a command to the power control unit 148. The maximum power point control unit 140 determines maximum power point control with respect to the DC/AC inverter 130 by MPPT 0 processing which will be described later, and performs MPPT by giving a command to the power control unit 148.

The MPPT 1 processing, the MPPT 2 processing, and the

MPPT 0 processing perform the respective maximum power point control operations, so that a sum of the DC power output from the DC/DC converter 110 and the DC/DC converter 120 is the maximum, or so that the AC power output from the DC/AC inverter oo,

occur at any one end of the chain, and can thus be bonded directly to the group R* and/or the ring comprising the groups Y and Z which is depicted in formula |, or occur inside the chain. In one embodiment of the invention the said unsaturated group is not adjacent to a hetero chain member. In one embodiment of the invention, a chain representing R?® does not contain a double bond or triple bond. In another embodiment it is possible for two adjacent groups C(R®)(R) to be connected to each other by a double bond. In another embodiment it is possible for two adjacent groups C(R?®)(R?) to be connected to each other by a triple bond. In another embodiment two adjacent groups C(R?%)(R) are connected to each other by a triple bond, i.e., in this embodiment a chain representing R2% comprises a triple bond. In a another embodiment the group R? is a group of the formula -C=C-.

In one embodiment of the invention R? is chosen from a direct bond and from any one or more of the chains which are present in the following examples of groups of the formula ll, which groups are bonded to the ring comprising the groups Y and Z which is depicted in formula | by the free bond represented by the terminal hyphen, and from which groups of the formula Il the groups R*® themselves are obtained by removing the group R**:

R%.C(R%)(R%)-, R2%-C(R%)(R%)-C(R®)(R%)-,

R%.C=C-, R2.C(R%)(R%)-O-,

R2.C(R%)(R%)-S-, R2.C(R%)(R%)-N(R®)-,

R%4.S(0),-O-, R%“.C(R%) (R)-C(R®)(R®)-C RZ)(RP)-,

R%-C(R%)=C(R%)-C(R?®)(R¥)-, R%-C(R®)(R%)-C(R%)(R*)-0-,

R24.0-C(R%)(R%)-C(R®)(RY)-, R?-C(R%)(R%)-0-C(R®)(R®)-,

R2.C(R%)(R%)-C(R®)(R®)-S-, R?*.C(R%)(R%)-S-C(R®)(R%)-,

R24.S.C (R%) (R%)-C (R%) (R%)-, R%.C (R%) (R%)-C (R%) (R%)-N (R®)-, wherein in these groups of the formula Il the groups R, R25 and R? are defined as above or below.

In one embodiment of the invention, R% is chosen from the series consisting of rR",

R¥-O-, R¥'-S(0)m-, HaN-, R*-NH-, R¥-N(R*')-, R¥'-C(0)-NH-, R3'-C(O)-N(R")-,

HO-C(0)-, R*'-0-C(0)-, HaN-C(0)-, R*'-NH-C(O)-, R3.-N(R®")-C(O)-, NC- and a 3- membered to 10-membered, monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic ring, in another embodiment from the series consisting of R®', R¥'-0-, R*'-§(O)m-, NC- and a 3- membered to 10-membered, monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic ring, in another embodiment from the series consisting of R*', R¥'-0- and a 3-membered to 10- membered, monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic ring, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C4-Ce)-alkyl, (C1-Ce)-alkyl-O- and a 3-membered to 10- membered, monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic ring, wherein in all these embodiments the 3-membered to 10-membered, monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic ring is defined as above or below and is saturated or unsaturated and contains 0, 1, 2 or 3 identical or different hetero ring members chosen from the series consisting of N, N(R*), 0, S,

S(O) and S(O); and is optionally substituted on ring carbon atoms by one or more identical or different substituents chosen from the series consisting of halogen, R3,

HO-, R®¥.0-, R®.C(0)-0-, R*-5(0);-0-, R*-S(O)m-, H2N-, R33-NH-, R¥-N(R¥)-,

R33.C(0)-NH-, R®-C(0)-N(R"")-, R*-5(0)2-NH-, R3.5(0),-N(R"")-, H2N-S(0)2-NH-,

R®.NH-S(0)2-NH-, RE-N(R®)-8(0)z-NH-, HaN-S(0)2 N(R"), R¥*-NH-S(0)=-NR"')-,

RBN(R®)-S(0)2-N(R™")-, R¥-C(0)-, HO-C(0)-, R*-0-C(O)-, HzN-C(O)-, R¥-NH- C(O)-, R¥-N(R®)-C(O)-, HaN-5(0)2-, R*-NH-S(0)z-, R3.N(R*)-S(0)2-, NC-, O2N-, oxo, phenyl and Het, or has any of its other meanings indicated herein. In another embodiment of the invention R* is a 3-membered to 10-membered, monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic ring which is defined as above or below and is saturated or unsaturated and contains 0, 1, 2 or 3 identical or different hetero ring members chosen from the series consisting of N, N(R*), 0, S, S(O) and S(O), which ring is optionally substituted on ring carbon atoms by one or more identical or different substituents chosen from the series consisting of halogen, R®, HO-, R*-O-, R%-

C(0)-0-, R¥-5(0),-0-, R¥*-S(0)m-, HoN-, R¥-NH-, R¥N(R®)-, R¥-C(0)-NH-, R*-

C(0)-N(R™)-, R®-S(0)2-NH-, R*-§(0)2-N(R"")-, H2N-S(0)2-NH-, R33_.NH-S(0);-NH-,

REN(R®)-S(0)z-NH-, HaN-S(0)2-N(R™")-, R¥-NH-S(0)2-N(R")-, R¥-N(R*)-5(0)z-

N(R™")-, R¥-C(O)-, HO-C(O)-, R®-0-C(0)-, H2N-C(O)-, R¥.NH-C(0)-, R®-N(R*)-

C(O)-, HaN-S(0)z-, R¥-NH-S(0),-, R¥-N(R*)-5(0)-, NC-, O:N-, oxo, phenyl and

Het, or has any of its other meanings indicated herein.

In one embodiment of the invention, a 3-membered to 10-membered, monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic ring representing R?* is a monocyclic or bicyclic ring, and in another embodiment it is a monocyclic ring, which rings are all optionally substituted as indicated above or below. In one embodiment of the invention, a monocyclic ring representing R? is 3-membered to 7-membered, in another embodiment 3- membered or 5-membered to 7-membered, in another embodiment 3-membered, 5- membered or 6-membered, in another embodiment 5.memberad or 6-membered, in another embodiment 6-membered, which rings are all optionally substituted as indicated above or below. In one embodiment of the invention, a bicyclic or tricyclic ring representing R24 is 7-membered to 10-membered, which rings are all optionally substituted as indicated above or below. In one embodiment of the invention, a ring representing R** is a saturated ring or an unsaturated ring including a partially unsaturated, i.e. non-aromatic, ring which contains zero, one, two or three, for example zero, one or two, double bonds, within the ring, or an aromatic ring, which rings are all optionally substituted as indicated above or below. In another embodiment, a ring representing R2 is a saturated ring or a partially unsaturated ring which contains zero, one, two or three, for example zero, one or two, double bonds within the ring, which rings are all optionally substituted as indicated above or below.

In another embodiment of the invention, a ring representing R? is an aromatic ring, in another embodiment an aromatic ring chosen from benzene, aromatic 5-membered and 6-membered monocyclic heterocycles, naphthalene and aromatic 9-membered and 10-membered bicyclic heterocycles, in another embodiment an aromatic ring chosen from benzene and aromatic 5-membered and 6-membered monocyclic heterocycles, in another embodiment an aromatic ring chosen from benzene and thiophene, which rings are all optionally substituted as indicated above or below. In another embodiment, a ring representing R* is a benzene ring which is optionally substituted as indicated above or below, i.e. by the substituents specified above or below with respect to the 3-membered to 10-membered ring representing R%. In terms of residues, in this latter embodiment R* is a phenyl group which is optionally substituted as indicated above or below, i.e. by the substituents specified above or below with respect to the 3-membered to 10-membered ring representing R24, in one embodiment of the invention, the number of hetero ring members which can be present in a 3-membered to 10-membered ring representing R*is 0, 10r2, in another embodiment of the invention the number of hetero ring members is 0 or 1, and in another embodiment of the invention the number of hetero ring members is 0 (zero), i.e., in this latter embodiment a 3-membered to 10-membered ring representing R** is a carbocyclic ring, which rings are all optionally substituted as indicated above or below. In one embodiment of the invention, the hetero ring members which can be present in a 3-membered to 10-membered ring representing

R** are chosen from N, N(R®?), O, S and S(O), in another embodiment from N,

N(R), O and S, in another embodiment from N, O and S, in another embodiment from N(R*?), O and S, in another embodiment from N and S.

In one embodiment of the invention, the number of substituents which are optionally present on ring carbon atoms in a 3-membered to 10-membered ring representing

R?**is 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, in another embodiment the number of substituents which are optionally present on ring carbon atoms is 1, 2, 3 or 4, in another embodiment the number of substituents which are optionally present on ring carbon atoms is 1, 2 or 3, in another embodiment the number of substituents which are optionally present on ring carbon atoms is 1 or 2.

In one embodiment of the invention, the substituents which are optionally present on ring carbon atoms in a 3-membered to 10-membered ring representing R2* including a benzene ring or a phenyl group, respectively, representing R*, are chosen from the series consisting of halogen, R*, HO-, R¥-0-, R®-S(O)m-, HoN-, R¥-NH-, R*-

N(R®)-, R**-C(0)-NH-, R¥-C(0)-N(R™")-, R*®-5(0),-NH-, R**-S(0),-N(R"")-,

HaN-S(0),-NH-, R¥-NH-S(0)2-NH-, R¥3-N(R%)-S(0),-NH-, HaN-S(0)2-N(R™")-, R*-

NH-S(O)-N(R™")-, R¥-N(R®)-5(0),-N(R™")-, HO-C(0)-, R¥-0-C(O)-, H2N-C(0)-, R®-

NH-C(0)-, R¥-N(R*)-C(0)-, NC-, oxo, phenyl and Het, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen, R%, HO-, R®-0-, R%-S(0)-, HoN-, R¥-NH-, R¥-

N(R®)-, R®-C(0)-NH-, R¥-C(0)-N(R™")-, R*-S(0)2-NH-, R33.S(0),-N(R™")-,

H,N-S(0)2-NH-, R¥-NH-S(0),-NH-, R®-N(R*)-S(0)>-NH-, H,N-S(O)2-N(R"")-, R*-

NH-5(0),-N(R”")-, RE-N(R¥)-8(0)-N(R"")-, HO-C(O)-, R®-O-C(0)-, HoN-C(0)-, R*-

NH-C(0)-, R¥-N(R*)-C(0)- and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen, R®, HO-, R®-0-, R**-5(O)m-, H2N-, R¥-NH-, R3-N(R*)-,

R¥.C(O)-NH-, R¥-S(0),-NH-, HoN-5(0)2-NH-, R¥-NH-S(0)z-NH-, R¥3.N(R*)-S(0)2-

NH-, HO-C(O)-, R*-0-C(0)-, HzN-C(0)-, R¥*-NH-C(O)-, R3.N(R%®)-C(0)-and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen, R*, HO-, R*-0-,

R*-S(0)m-, HaN-, R®-NH-, R®-N(R®)-, R%.C(0)-NH-, R¥-8(0)z-NH-, H2N-S(0)z-

NH-, R®3-NH-S(0),-NH-, R¥-N(R*)-S(0),-NH-, H2N-C(O)-, R*-NH-C(O)-,

R¥3-N(R*)-C(O)- and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen, R®, HO-, R®-0-, R®-S(O)m-, HzN-, R¥-NH-, R3-N(R%)-, R¥-C(0)-NH-,

R¥-S(0)-NH-, HoN-C(O)-, R®-NH-C(0)-, R®*-N(R*)-C(0)- and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen, R®, HO-, R®-0-, R*-8(O)nr,

HoN-, R®-NH-, R¥-N(R®)-, R®.C(0)-NH-, R®-C(0)-N(R"")-, R*-S(0)2-NH-, R*-

S(0)2-N(R"")-, H2N-C(O)-, R¥-NH-C(0)-, R*-N(R*)-C(0)- and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen, R®, HO-, R®-0-, R*-8(O)ar,

R¥.C(0)-NH-, R¥-C(0)-N(R"")-, R*-S(0)2-NH-, R%.5(0)2-N(R™")-, HN-C(0)-, R*-

NH-C(O)-, R®¥-N(R®)-C(0)- and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen, R*, HO-, R¥-0-, R®-S(O)m-, R33.C(0)-NH-, R*-5(0)z2-NH-,

HaN-C(O)-, R%3-NH-C(0)-, R¥-N(R*)-C(0)- and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen, R®, HO-, R¥-0-, R®*-C(0)-NH-, R*3.5(0),-NH-,

HoN-C(O)-, R¥-NH-C(0)-, R®*-N(R*)-C(0)- and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen, R*, R¥-0-, R*-C(0)-NH-, R33.5(0),-NH-, H2N- C(O)-, R¥NH-C(O)-, RB-N(R%)-C(0)- and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen, R%®, R¥-0- and NC-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen, R* and R¥-O-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of halogen and R*’, wherein in all these embodiments R* and R"' are defined as indicated above or below and R* is optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents R7° In one embodiment of the invention, the groups

Rin these substituents on a ring representing R?* are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of (C;-Ce)-alkyl, (Cs-Cr)-cycloalkyl and (C3-Cy)-

cycloalkyl-(C4-Cy4)-alkyl-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C1-Ce)- alkyl, (C3-Cg)-cycloalkyl and (C3-Cg)-cycloalkyl-(C4-Cp)-alkyl-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C1-Ce)-alkyl, (C3-Cg)-cycloalkyl and (C3-Cg)-cycloalkyl-

CH>-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C4-Ce)-alkyl, cyclopropyl and cyclopropyl-CH,-, for example from the series consisting of (C1-Cg)-alkyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C4-C.)-alkyl, cyclopropyl and cyclopropyl-CH,-, for example from the series consisting of (C1-Cy)-alkyl. In one embodiment of the invention, the number of substituents R’®, which are optionally present in these groups R* besides any fluorine substituents and, in the case of cycloalkyl groups, any (C4-Cy)-alkyl substituents, is independently of each other 0, 1, 2 or 3, in another embodiment 0, 1 or 2, in another embodiment 0 or 1, in another embodiment 0. In one embodiment of the invention, the substituents R% in these groups R* are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of HO-,

R™.0-, R"'-C(0)-0-, HoN-, R7.NH-, RT-NR"")-, R"'.C(0)-NH-, R7-C(0)-N(R"™)-,

R™-S(0),-NH-and R7-S(0),-N(R™)-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO-, R"'-C(0)-0O-, H,N-, R7-C(0)-NH- and R7'-S(0)2-NH-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO-, R7'-C(0)-O- and R'-C(O)-NH-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO- and R71-C(O)-NH-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO- and R”'-O-, and in another embodiment of the invention substituents R7 in these groups R* are HO-. In one embodiment of the invention, the groups R”' present in these groups R* are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of (C1-C4)-alkyl, cyclopropyl and cyclopropyl-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C4-Cs)-alkyl and cyclopropyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (Cy-C4)-alkyl. In one embodiment of the invention, R? is a benzene ring or a thiophene ring, for example a benzene ring, or, in terms of the respective residues,

R*is a phenyl group or a thiophenyl (thienyl) group, for example a phenyl group, which are all optionally substituted as indicated afore.

Examples of specific residues of benzene and thiophene rings, i.e. of specific phenyl and thiophenyl groups, representing R?, from any one or more of which examples the group R?* is chosen in one embodiment of the invention, are phenyl, 2-fluoro-

Se 50 phenyl, 3-fluoro-phenyl, 2-chloro-phenyl, 3-chloro-phenyl, 4-chloro-phenyl, 3-bromo- phenyl, 2,3-dichloro-phenyl, 3,4-dichloro-phenyl, 2,5-difluoro-phenyl, 2,5-dichloro- phenyl, 2-chloro-6-fluoro-phenyl, 3,4,5-trifluoro-phenyl, 3-methyl-phenyl (m-tolyl), 3- ethyl-phenyl, 3-isopropyl-phenyl, 3-cyclopropyl-phenyi, 3-tert-butyl-5-methyl-phenyl, 3-trifluoromethyl-phenyl, 3-(2-hydroxyethyl)-phenyl, 3-(2-hydroxy-2-methyl-propyl)- phenyl, 3-(2-acetylaminoethyl)-phenyl, 2-fluoro-5-methyl-phenyl, 3-chioro-2-methyl- phenyl, 5-chloro-2-methyl-phenyl, 5-chloro-2-fluoro-3-methyl-phenyl, 2-fluoro-3- trifluoromethyl-phenyl, 2-fluoro-5-trifluoromethyl-phenyl, 4-fluoro-3-triflucromethyl- phenyl, 5-fluoro-3-trifluoromethyl-phenyl, 3-chloro-4-trifluoromethyl-phenyl, 5-chloro- 2-trifluoromethyl-phenyl, 5-chloro-3-trifluoromethyl-phenyl, 3-ethoxy-phenyl, 2- propoxy-phenyi, 3-isopropoxy-phenyl, 3-trifluoromethoxy-phenyl, 3-(2,2,2- trifluoroethoxy)-phenyl, 5-chloro-2-methoxy-phenyl, 3-chloro-4-methoxy-phenyl, 5- fluoro-3-isopropoxy-phenyl, 2-fluoro-3-trifluoromethoxy-phenyl, 4-methoxy-3,5- dimethyl-phenyl, 3-methoxy-5-trifluoromethyl-phenyl, 3-methylsulfanyl-phenyl, 3- 16 ethylsulfanyl-phenyl, 3-trifluoromethylsulfanyi-phenyl, 3-ethanesulfonyl-phenyl, 3- acetylamino-phenyl, 3-methanesulfonylamino-phenyl, 3-dimethylaminosulfonylamino- phenyl, 3-cyano-phenyl, 2-thienyl, 3-thienyl, 4-methyl-2-thienyl, 5-methyi-3-thienyi.

In one embodiment of the invention, the total number of C, N, O and S atoms which is present in the two groups R® and R?%, i.e. in the substituent group R*-R%- on the ring comprising the groups Y and Z which is depicted in formula |, is at least 6, in another embodiment at least 7, in another embodiment at least 8, in another embodiment at least 9.

In one embodiment of the invention, R?® is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and methyl, in another embodiment R?® is hydrogen. In another embodiment of the invention R? is (C;-Ca)-alkyl, for example methyl.

In one embodiment of the invention, R?, independently of each other group R?, is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, fluorine, methyl and HO-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, fluorine and (C4-C4)-alkyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, fluorine and methyl, in

-———— 91 another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and fluorine, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and methyl, and in another embodiment R% is hydrogen, or in all these embodiments two groups R? bonded to the same carbon atom together are oxo, or two of the groups R? or one group R?® and one group R%, together with the comprised chain members, form a 3-membered to 7-membered monocyclic ring which is saturated and contains 0, 1 or 2 identical or different hetero ring members chosen from the series consisting of N, N(R*), O, S,

S(O) and S(O), which ring is optionally substituted on ring carbon atoms by one more identical or different substituents chosen from the series consisting of fluorine and (C4+-C4)-alkyl. In another embodiment of the invention, R%, independently of each other group R?, is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, fluorine, methyl and HO-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, fluorine and (C1-Cs)-alkyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, fluorine and methyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and fluorine, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and methyl, and in another embodiment R? is hydrogen, or in all these embodiments two of the groups R? or one group R% and one group R%, together with the comprised chain members, form a 3-membered to 7-membered monocyclic ring which is saturated and contains 0, 1 or 2 identical or different hetero ring members chosen from the series consisting of N, N(R*), O, S, S(O) and S(O),, which ring is optionally substituted on ring carbon atoms by one more identical or different substituents chosen from the series consisting of fluorine and (C4-C4)-alkyl. In another embodiment of the invention, R%, independently of each other group R%, is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, fluorine, methyl and HO-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, fluorine and (C1-C,)-alkyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, fluorine and methyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and fluorine, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and methyl, and in another embodiment all groups R* are hydrogen.

In one embodiment of the invention, the number of groups R28 in a chain representing R% which are HO-, is zero, one or two, in another embodiment zero or one, in another embodiment zero, in another embodiment one. In one embodiment of the invention, a HO- group representing R?® is not present on a carbon atom which is adjacent to a hetero chain member in a chain representing R%. In another embodiment a HO- group representing R? is not bonded to a carbon atom which is connected to an adjacent group C(R®)(R?) by a double bond. In one embodiment of the invention the number of groups RZ in a chain representing R* which are (C4-C4)- alkyl such as methyl, is zero, one or two, in another embodiment zero or one, in another embodiment zero, in another embodiment one, in another embodiment two.

In one embodiment of the invention the number of groups R? in a chain representing

RZ which are fluorine, is zero, one, two, three or four, in another embodiment zero, one, two or three, in another embodiment zero, one or two, in another embodiment zero or one, in another embodiment zero, in another embodiment one, in another embodiment two. In one embodiment of the invention, the number of oxo substituents in a chain representing R% which are formed by two groups R* bonded to the same carbon atom, is zero, one or two, in another embodiment zero or one, in another embodiment zero, in another embodiment one. In one embodiment of the invention, an oxo substituent in a chain representing R? is not present on a carbon atom which is adjacent to a hetero chain member chosen from the series consisting of S(O) and

S(O), in another embodiment from the series consisting of S, S(O) and S(O), in another embodiment from the series consisting of O, S, S(O) and S(O)a.

In one embodiment of the invention, the number of rings which are formed by two of the groups R% or one group R? and one group R?, together with the comprised chain members, is zero, one or two, in another embodiment zero or one, in another embodiment one, in another embodiment zero. In one embodiment of the invention a ring formed by two of the groups R? or one group R?® and one group R%, together with the comprised chain members, is a 3-membered, 4-membered, 5-membered or 6-membered ring, in another embodiment a 3-membered, 5-membered or 6- membered ring, in another embodiment a 3-membered ring, in another embodiment a 5-membered or 6-membered ring. In one embodiment of the invention, it is possible for two of the groups R%, together with the comprised chain members, to form a ring, but not for one group R? and one group R%. In one embodiment of the invention the number of chain members which is comprised by a ring formed by two of the groups

R?® or one group R% and one group R%, is one, two, three or four, in another embodiment it is one, two or three, in another embodiment it is one or two, in another embodiment it is one. In case such ring comprises only one chain member, the two of the groups R?® forming the ring are bonded to the same carbon atom in the chain and the said one chain member is the carbon atom carrying the two groups R%.

Examples of rings, which are formed by two groups R? bonded to the same carbon atom and the one comprised chain member, are cycloalkane rings such as cyclopropane, cyclobutane, cyclopentane or cyclohexane, and heterocyclic rings such as tetrahydrothiophene, tetrahydrothiopyran, oxetane, tetrahydrofuran, tetrahydropyran, azetidine, pyrrolidine or piperidine, for example cyclopropane, which carry any adjacent chain members of a chain representing R%® and/or the group R** and/or the ring comprising the groups Y and Z which is depicted in formula |, on the same ring carbon atom, and which rings can all be substituted as indicated. In case a ring formed by two of the groups R or one group R? and one group R?, together with the comprised chain members, comprises two chain members, the two groups

R?® forming the ring are bonded to two adjacent carbon atoms in the chain or the one group R% is bonded to a carbon atom which is adjacent to the group N(R?) respectively. Examples of rings, which are formed in such case, are likewise cycloalkane rings such as cyclopropane, cyclobutane, cyclopentane or cyclohexane, and heterocyclic rings such as tetrahydrothiophene, tetrahydrothiopyran, oxetane, tetrahydrofuran, tetrahydropyran, azetidine, pyrrolidine or piperidine, for example cyclopropane, which carry any adjacent chain members of a chain representing R% and/or the group R* and/or the ring comprising the groups Y and Z which is depicted in formula |, on two adjacent ring carbon atoms or on the ring nitrogen atom and an adjacent ring carbon atom, and which rings can all be substituted as indicated.

In case a ring formed by two of the groups R? or one group R?® and one group R%, together with the comprised chain members, comprises more than one chain members, besides at least one group C(R*)(R?®) the comprised chain members can also be hetero chain members including the group N(R?) which then are hetero ring members of the formed ring. In one embodiment of the invention, the total number of

130 is the maximum. [Specific Configuration]

FIG. 2 1s a diagram illustrating a specific configuration of the power converter according to the embodiment. The DC/DC converter 110 and the DC/DC converter 120 have the same configuration, and include a capacitor C, a reactor L, and a switching transistor TR.

The capacitor C and the reactor L form a smoothing circuit. The smoothing circuit converts a voltage of the solar battery module into a DC voltage which is optimum for performing the MPPT, while smoothing a wave form of a DC current output by the solar battery module 210 or the solar battery module 220. FIG. 2 illustrates a booster circuit as an example, but either a booster circuit or a stepdown circuit may be used.

The switching transistor TR switches the DC current smoothed by the smoothing circuit according to an input PWM pulse, and converts the DC current into a DC voltage which is different from the DC voltage output from the smoothing circuit.

The maximum power point control is performed by the maximum power point control unit 140, a power calculation unit 142, a power calculation unit 144, a power calculation unit 146, and a power control unit 148 which has DC/DC converter control functions 1 and 2, and a DC/AC inverter control function.

The power calculation unit 142 calculates DC power Pl to be output by the solar battery module 210, by multiplying a DC voltage El output by the solar battery module 210 and a DC current Il output by the smoothing circuit.

The power calculation unit 144 calculates DC power P2 to be output by the solar battery module 220, by multiplying hetero ring members in such a ring is zero, one or two, in another embodiment zero or one, in another embodiment zero, in another embodiment one. In one embodiment of the invention, hetero ring members in such a ring are chosen from the series consisting of N, N(R*), O and S, in another embodiment form the series consisting of

N, N(R*) and O, in another embodiment from the series consisting of N and N(R*), in another embodiment from the series consisting of N(R*) and O, in another embodiment from the series consisting of N(R**), and in another embodiment hetero ring members in such a ring are N, and in still another embodiment hetero ring . members in such a ring are O, wherein a hetero ring member N in a ring formed by two of the groups R? or one group R? and one group R*, together with the comprised chain members, is the nitrogen atom of a hetero chain member N(R%).

In one embodiment of the invention, the number of substituents which are optionally present in a ring formed by two of the groups R% or one group R% and one group

R%, together with the comprised chain members, is 0, 1, 2, 3 or 4, in another embodiment 0, 1, 2 or 3, in another embodiment 0, 1 or 2, in another embodiment 0 or 1, in another embodiment 0. In one embodiment of the invention, (C4-Ca4)-alkyl substituents which are present in a ring formed by two of the groups R?® or one group

R? and one group R?, together with the comprised chain members, are methyl. In one embodiment of the invention substituents present in a ring formed by two of the groups R? or one group R?® and one group R?, together with the comprised chain members, are fluorine, in another embodiment they are identical or different (C1-Ca)- alkyl groups, for example methyl.

Examples of specific groups R? including specific groups R?® contained therein are given in the following examples of groups of the formula II, which groups are bonded to the ring comprising the groups Y and Z which is depicted in formula | by the free bond represented by the terminal hyphen or the terminal line in the structural formula, and from which groups of the formula Il the groups R?3 themselves are obtained by removing the group R?*, wherein in these groups of the formula Il the group R% is defined as above or below:

R*-CHy-, R%.CF-,

R?*-CH,-CHo-, rR /\ ri cp RH

R¥.C=C-, RZ*-CH,-O-,

R2?4-CF,-0O-, R?*-CH,-S-,

R?*-CH,-NH-, R2?4.CH,-N(CHa)-,

R?*-C(O)-NH-, R*-5(0),-0-,

R?4-CH,-CH,-CH3-, R?*.CH,-CH2-CF2-,

R?*-CF,-CHa-CHj-, R*.CH(OH)-CH2-CHa-,

R%*.CH,-CH,-CH(OH)-, R?*-CH,-CH2-C(CHa)2-,

R?*-C(CHa)2-CHz-CHz-, cH rN op Rt och

RAH CH R%.CH=CH-CH;-,

R24-CH=CH-CH(OH)-, R**-CH,-CH-O-,

R?4.CH,-CF»-O-, R%.CH(F)-CHz-O-,

R2?4-CF,-CH2-O-, R?4-CF-CF,-O-,

R?*.CH(CH3)-CH3-O-, R%*-C(CHa)2-CH2-O-, 0 24 \ ono OQ

R CHO | R% CHyO—

R*—CH; \/ o— R?4.0-CH,-CHg-,

R?4-0-CF,-CH,-, R%.0-CH,-CF3-, 24_ _ _ B 24

R**-0O-CF,-CF3-, R Co gu

R¥-0— cH R?4-CH,-O-CHo-,

R?*-CF2-0-CHa-, R?4.CH,-O-CF2-, ro Gh Reco

R?*-CH,-CH-S-, R?*-CH2-S-CHo-,

R?-S-CH,-CHg-, R?*-CH2-CHz-NH-,

R?4-CH,-CHa-N(CHa)-, R2*.CH,-C(O)-NH-. in one embodiment of the invention, R% is chosen from a direct bond and any one or more of the chains R?® in the preceding examples of groups of the formula Il and, likewise, the group of the formula Il is chosen from the group R?* and any one or more of the preceding examples of the groups of the formula il.

In one embodiment of the invention, the number of substituents R”® which are optionally present in the group R* is zero, one, two or three, in another embodiment zero, one or two, in another embodiment zero or one, in another embodiment zero. In one embodiment of the invention, R*' is chosen from the series consisting of (C1-Ce)- alkyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of (C1-Ca)-alkyl, which are all optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents R"°.

In one embodiment of the invention, R32 and R* are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, R%, R®-C(0)-, R®-0-C(O)-, pheny! and Het, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, R3®, R33.

C(O)-, R¥-0-C(O)-, phenyl and Het? in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, R%, R¥-C(0)-, R¥-O-C(0)- and phenyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, R*, R¥®-C(0)- and R*-0-C(O)-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, R* and R*-C(0)-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, R3®°, phenyl and Het, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, R*®, phenyl and Het? in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, R*% and phenyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and R*, wherein in these embodiments a group Het or Het? occurring in RZ and R* in one embodiment of the invention is chosen from pyridinyl and thiophenyl. In one embodiment of the invention, the groups R*® occurring in R*? and R* are independently of each other chosen from (C+-Cg)-alkyl, (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl and (C3-C)-cycloalkyl-(C4-Cy)-alkyt-, in another embodiment from (C4-Cg)-alkyl, (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl and (Cs-Cr)-cycloalkyl-(C1-

C,)-alkyl-, in another embodiment from (C+-Ce)-alkyl, (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl and (Cs-Cy)- cycloalkyl-CH,-, in another embodiment from (C1-Ce)-alkyl and (C5-Cy)-cycloalkyl, in another embodiment from (C4-Ce)-alkyl, in another embodiment from (C1-Ca)-alkyl, which are all optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents

R7® and wherein in these groups besides any substituents R’® one or more fluorine substituents are optionally present and in cycloalkyl groups one or more (C+-C4)-alkyl substituents are optionally present as applies to alkyl and cycloalkyl groups in general.

In one embodiment of the invention, the number of substituents R’? which are optionally present in a group R® occurring in R* and R* besides any fluorine substituents and, in the case of a cycloalkyl group, alkyl substituents, is, independently of each other group, 0, 1, 2, 3or 4, in another embodiment 0, 1, 2 or 3, in another embodiment 0, 1 or 2, in another embodiment 0 or 1, in another embodiment 0. In one embodiment of the invention, substituents R’% which are optionally present in a group R* occurring in R* and R* are, independently of each other group, chosen from the series consisting of HO-, R7'-0-, NC-, phenyl and Het?, in another embodiment from the series consisting of phenyl and Het?, in another from the series consisting of phenyl, wherein phenyl and Het? are defined and optionally substituted as indicated.

In one embodiment of the invention, R* is chosen from R*'-O- and R%2-NH-, in another embodiment from R%'-O- and HaN-. In another embodiment R5 is R®-O-.

In one embodiment of the invention, R®! is hydrogen. In another embodiment of the invention, R%" is R*.

In one embodiment of the invention, R%? is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, R®® and R*-S(0).-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, (C1-Cs)-alkyl which is optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents R7°, and R%®-S(0),-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, unsubstituted (C1-Ca)-alkyl and R%6-S(0),-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen, unsubstituted methyl and

R5-S(0).-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and (C+-

C.)-alkyl which is optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents R7°, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and unsubstituted (C1-Ca)-alkyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and unsubstituted methyl. In another embodiment of the invention, R% is hydrogen. :

In one embodiment of the invention, R% is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and (C1-Cq)-alkyl which is optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents R’°, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and unsubstituted (C1-C4)-alkyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of hydrogen and unsubstituted methyl. In another embodiment of the invention, R® is hydrogen.

In one embodiment of the invention, R® is chosen from (C1-Cs)-alkyl, (C3-C7)- cycloalkyl and (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl-(C4-Ca)-alkyl-, in another embodiment from (C1-Ce)- alkyl, (Cs-C7)-cycloalkyl and (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl-(C1-Co)-alkyl-, in another embodiment from (C;-Ce)-alkyl, (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl and (Ca-C7)-cycloalkyl-CHz-, in another embodiment from (C4-Cg)-alkyl and (Ca-C7)-cycloalkyl, in another embodiment from (C4-Cg)-alkyl, in another embodiment from (C4-Cy4)-alkyl, in another embodiment from (C4-C3)-alkyl, which are all optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents R7 and wherein in these groups besides any substituents R7 one or more fluorine substituents are optionally present and in cycloalkyl groups one or more (C1-C4)-alky! substituents are optionally present as applies to alkyl and cycloalkyl groups in general. In one embodiment of the invention, the number of ee —-—-—-_-—-— mmm l,l. 59 substituents R® which are optionally present in a group R* besides any fluorine substituents and, in the case of a cycloalkyl group, any alkyl substituents, is 0, 1 or 2, in another embodiment 0 or 1, in another embodiment 1, in another embodiment 0. In another embodiment of the invention, a group R* is neither substituted by R’® nor by fluorine substituents nor, in the case of a cycloalkyl group, by alkyl substituents, and

R>* in this embodiment thus is chosen, for example, from the series consisting of C1-

Ce)-alkyl, (C2-Ce)-alkenyl, (C,-Cg)-alkynyl, (C3-Cy)-cycloalkyl and (Cs-Cr)-cycloalkyl- (C4-C4)-alkyl-, or from the series consisting of (C4-Cg)-alkyl, (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl and (Cs-Cy)-cycloalkyl-CH;-, or from the series consisting of (C1-Cs)-alkyl, or from the series consisting of (C4-Cy4)-alkyl, or from the series consisting of (C1-Ca)-alkyl, which are all unsubstituted. In one embodiment of the invention, substituents R’® which are optionally present in a group R*, are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of HO-, R"'-0-, R”'-C(0)-0-, HO-C(0)- and R"'-O-C(0)-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO-, R”'-O- and R""-C(0)-O-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO- and R”-C(0)-O-.

In one embodiment of the invention, R% is chosen from the series consisting of phenyl which is optionally substituted as indicated above or below, and unsubstituted (C+-Cas)-alkyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of phenyl which is optionally substituted as indicated above or below, and unsubstituted methyl, in another embodiment from unsubstituted (C1-C4)-alkyl, in another embodiment from unsubstituted(C+-C3)-alkyl. In another embodiment R56 is unsubstituted methyl, in another embodiment phenyl which is optionally substituted as indicated.

In one embodiment of the invention, R®® is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and methyl. In another embodiment R® is hydrogen. In another embodiment R®® is (C4-Cy4)-alkyl, for example methyl.

In one embodiment of the invention, a group Rin any of its occurrences is, independently of groups Rin other occurrences and unless specified otherwise, chosen from the series consisting of HO-, R”'-0-, R7'-C(0)-0-, R"-S(0)m-, H2N-,

R"-NH-, R"-N(R"")-, R"-C(0)-NH-, R"'-C(0)-N(R"")-, R"-§(0),-NH-, R"'-5(0),-

N(R”")-, HO-C(O)-, R™-0-C(0)-, HoN-C(O)-, R"-NH-C(0)-, R"-N(R"")-C(0)-, NC-, oxo, phenyl and Het?, in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO-, R'-

O-, R"-C(0)-0-, R"-8(0)m-, HaN-, R7:-NH-, R"'-N(R"")-, R"-C(0)-NH-, R™-S(0).-

NH-, HO-C(O)-, R"'-0-C(0)-, HoN-C(O)-, R7'-NH-C(0)-, R"-N(R")-C(O)-, NC-, oxo, phenyl and Het?, in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO-, R’'-0-,

R7'-C(0)-0-, R7'-S(O)p-, HO-C(0)-, R7'-0-C(0)-, HaN-C(0)-, R"'-NH-C(0)-,

R7'-N(R'")-C(O)-, NC-, oxo, phenyl and Het? in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO-, R7'-0-, R7'-C(0)-O-, R"-8(O)m-, HaN-, R'-NH-, R"-N(R")-, R"'-

C(0O)-NH-, R"'-S(0),-NH-, NC-, oxo, phenyl and Het?, in another embodiment from. : the series consisting of HO-, R”'-0-, R"'-C(0)-O-, R"-S(O)m-, NC-, oxo, phenyl and

Het? in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO-, R”'-O-, R-S(O)m-,

NC-, oxo, phenyl and Het?, in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO-,

R7'-0-, R7-C(0)-O-, R7'-S(O)n-, NC-, phenyl and Het’, in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO-, R7'-O-, NC-, phenyl and Het’, in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO-, R”'-O-, phenyl and Het, in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO-, R”!-O- and phenyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO- and R7'-O-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO- and R7'-C(0)-O-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of phenyl and Het?, in another embodiment from the series consisting of phenyl, in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO-C(O)-, R71-0-C(0)-, HzN-

C(O)-, R"-NH-C(0)-, R"™-N(R'")-C(O)-, in another embodiment from the series consisting of HO-C(0)-, and R”*-0-C(O)-, and in another embodiment R70 is HO-, wherein R’", phenyl and Het? are defined and optionally substituted as indicated above or below. In the latter embodiment, in which R’® is HO-, a (C1-Ce)-alkyl group, for example, which is optionally substituted by the said R”, can among others be a group such as (C;-Cg)-alkyl, HO-(C1-Ce)-alkyl-, i.e. hydroxy-(C1-Ce)-alkyl-, (HO)2(C2-

Ce)-alkyl-, i.e. dihydroxy-(C,-Ce)-alkyl-, and a (C4-C4)-alkyl group which is optionally substituted by R’®, can among others be a group such as (C4-Cy)-alkyl, HO-(C4-Ca4)- alkyl-, i.e. hydroxy-(C1-Cy)-alkyl-, (HO)2(C2-Ca)-alkyl-, i.e. dihydroxy-(C2-Cs)-alkyl-, wherein the alkyl groups are optionally substituted by one or more fluorine substituents. In one embodiment of the invention, a carbon atom does not carry more than one HO- group.

SL

In one embodiment of the invention, R”' is chosen from (C4-C4)-alkyl, cyclopropyl and cyclopropyl-CH,-, in another embodiment from (C,-C,)-alkyl and cyclopropyl, in another embodiment from (C4-C4)-alkyl, in another embodiment from (C4-Ca)-alkyl, unless specified otherwise.

A subject of the invention are all compounds of the formula | wherein any one or more structural elements such as groups, substituents and numbers are defined asin any of the specified embodiments or definitions of the elements or have one or more of the specific meanings which are mentioned herein as examples of elements, wherein all combinations of one or more specified embodiments and/or definitions and/or specific meanings of the elements are a subject of the present invention. Also with respect to all such compounds of the formula |, all their stereoisomeric forms and mixtures of stereoisomeric forms in any ratios, and their physiologically acceptable salts, and the physiologically acceptable solvates of any of them, are a subject of the present invention.

Likewise, also with respect to all specific compounds disclosed herein, such as the example compounds which represent embodiments of the invention wherein the various groups and numbers in the general definition of the compounds of the formula | have the specific meanings present in the respective specific compound, it applies that all their stereoisomeric forms and mixtures of sterecisomeric forms in any ratio, and their physiologically acceptable salts, and the physiologically acceptable solvates of any of them are a subject of the present invention. A subject of the invention also are all specific compounds disclosed herein, irrespective thereof whether they are disclosed as a free compound and/or as a specific salt, both in the form of the free compound and in the form of all its physiologically acceptable salts, and if a specific salt is disclosed, additionally in the form of this specific salt, and the physiologically acceptable solvates of any of them. For example, in the case of the specific compound 2-{2-chloro-5-[2-(3-chloro-phenyl)-ethoxy]-4-methoxy- benzoylamino}-indane-2-carboxylic acid which is disclosed in the form of the free compound, a subject of the invention are 2-{2-chloro-5-[2-(3-chloro-phenyl)-ethoxy]-

EE —————————————————— 62 4-methoxy-benzoylamino}-indane-2-carboxylic acid and its physiologically acceptable salts and the physiologically acceptable solvates of any of them.

Thus, a subject of the invention also is a compound of the formula | which is chosen from any of the specific compounds of the formula | which are disclosed herein, or is any one of the specific compounds of the formula | which are disclosed herein, irrespective thereof whether they are disclosed as a free compound and/or as a specific salt, for example a compound of the formula | which is chosen from 2-[4-methylsulfany!-3-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)-benzoylamino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-[4-acetyl-3-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)-benzoylamino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-[4-ethyl-3-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)-benzoylamino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-[4-ethoxy-3-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)-benzoylamino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-[4-methoxy-3-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)-benzoylamino}-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-{4-methoxy-3-[2-(3-trifluoromethylsulfanyl-phenyl)-ethoxy]-benzoylamino}-indane-2- carboxylic acid, 2-[4-methoxy-3-(1-m-tolyl-cyclopropylmethoxy)-benzoylamino}-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-{3-[2-(3-cyano-phenyl)-ethoxy]-4-methoxy-benzoylamino}-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 5-[4-methoxy-3-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)-benzoylamino]-5,6-dihydro-4 H- cyclopenta[cjthiophene-5-carboxylic acid, 5-[4-methoxy-3-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)-benzoylamino]-5,6-dihydro-4H- cyclopenta[b]thiophene-5-carboxylic acid, 2-{[5-acetyl-4-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)-thiophene-2-carbonyl]-amino}-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-[3-fluoro-4-methoxy-5-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)-benzoylamino}-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-[4-methoxy-3-(2-m-tolyloxy-ethyl)-benzoylamino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-[4-methoxy-3-(3-m-tolyl-propyl)-benzoylamino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 5-fluoro-2-[4-methoxy-3-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)-benzoylaminol-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-[4-methoxy-3-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)-benzoylamino]-5,6-dimethyl-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-[4-cyano-3-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)-benzoylamino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-[4-methoxy-3-(2-m-tolyl-ethylamino)-benzoylamino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid,

2-{3-[2-(3-chloro-phenyl)-ethoxy]-4-methyl-benzoylamino}-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-[4-methoxy-3-(2-m-tolyl-ethylsulfanyl)-benzoylamino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-[3-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)-4-trifluoromethyl-benzoylamino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-{3-[2-(2-fluoro-5-methyl-phenyl)-ethoxy]-4-trifluoromethyl-benzoylamino}-indane-2- § carboxylic acid, 2-(3-{2-[3-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-phenyl]-ethoxy}-4-methoxy-benzoylamino)-indane-2- carboxylic acid, 2_{[6-methoxy-5-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)-pyridine-3-carbonyl}-amino}-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-[(3-methanesulfonylamino-6-methoxy-biphenyl-3-carbonyl)-amino]-indane-2- carboxylic acid, 2-{(3'-dimethylaminosulfonylamino-6-methoxy-biphenyl-3-carbonyl)-amino}-indane-2- carboxylic acid, 2-[(6-methoxy-3'trifiuoromethoxy-biphenyl-3-carbonyl)-amino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-[(3'-cyanomethyl-6-methoxy-biphenyl-3-carbonyl)-amino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-[(3"-isopropyl-6-methoxy-biphenyl-3-carbonyl)-amino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-{(3'-chloro-6-methoxy-2'-methyl-biphenyl-3-carbonyl)-aminol-indane-2-carboxylic acid, 2-{[5-(3-chloro-phenyl)-6-methoxy-pyridine-3-carbonyl}-amino}-indane-2-carboxylic acid, and 2-[3-(2,2-difluoro-2-phenyl-sthoxy)-4-methoxy-benzoylamino}-indane-2-carboxylic acid, or which is any one of these compounds, or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof, or physiologically acceptable solvate of any of them, wherein the compound of the formula | is a subject of the invention in any of its stereoisomeric forms or a mixture of stereoisomeric forms in any ratio where applicable.

As an example of compounds of the invention which with respect to any structural : elements are defined as in specified embodiments of the invention or definitions of such elements, compounds of the formula | may be mentioned wherein

Claims (22)

“lo . ~~ Vs What is claimed is: “2k Ca J AT

1. A power converter, comprising: / / a plurality of DC/DC convert each which is provided independently for a c¢ Ay of a plurality of solar battery modules, and con¥erts a voltage output by the solar battery module into a desired voltage; a DC/AC inverter which converts DC power output by the plurality of DC/DC converters into AC power; and a maximum power point control unit which performs maximum power point control with respect to each of the DC/DC converters and the DC/AC inverter, wherein, when any one of the plurality of DC/DC converters is not operated, the maximum power point control unit performs the maximum power point control with respect to the DC/AC inverter so that the electric power output by the DC/AC inverter is the maximum.

2. A power converter, comprising: a plurality of DC/DC converters each of which is provided independently for a corresponding one of a plurality of solar battery modules, and converts a voltage output by the solar battery module into a desired voltage; a DC/AC inverter which converts DC power output by the plurality of DC/DC converters into AC power; and a maximum power point control unit which performs maximum power point control with respect to each of the DC/DC converters and the DC/AC inverter,

wherein, when the output power of one of the DC/DC converters is less than the output power of the other DC/DC converter in the plurality of DC/DC converters, the maximum power point control unit performs the maximum power point control with respect to the one of the DC/DC converters and the DC/AC inverter.

3. A power converter, comprising: a plurality of DC/DC converters each of which is provided independently for a corresponding one of a plurality of solar battery modules, and converts a voltage output by the solar battery module into a desired voltage; a DC/AC inverter which converts DC power output by the plurality of DC/DC converters into AC power; and a maximum power point control unit which performs maximum power point control with respect to each of the DC/DC converters and the DC/AC inverter, wherein, when the output power of one of the DC/DC converters is greater than the output power ot the other DC/DC converter in the plurality ot DC/DC converters, the maximum power point control unil performs the maximum power point control with respect to the other DC/DC converter and the DC/AC inverter.

4. The power converter according to Claim 2, wherein the maximum power point control unit performs the maximum power point control with respect to the one of the DC/DC converters and the maximum power point control with respect to the DC/AC inverter, alternately.

5. The power converter according to Claim 3, wherein the maximum power point control unit performs the maximum power point control with respect to the other DC/DC converter and the maximum power point control with respect to the DC/AC inverter, alternately.

6. The power converter according to Claim 1, wherein, instead of the solar battery module, any one of a wind power generator, a hydroelectric generator, and a wave power generator is employed.

oo. 253 Ce rR vr Claims SEP 23 P1248

1. A compound of the formula |, RECENE DE rR Rr R™ y Rr? lL ¢ T B® 2 R* ZR R*R® O wherein ring A is a benzene ring, wherein the benzene ring and the heterocyclic rings are optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents chosen from the series consisting of halogen, R', HO-, R'-O-, R'-C(0)-O-, R'-S(0),-O-, R'-S(0)-, H:N-, R'-NH-, R'- N(R")-, R™-C(0)-NH-, R'-C(O)-N(R"")-, R'-S(0),-NH-, R'-S(0),-N(R"")-, R'-C(0)-, HO-C(0)-, R'- O-C(O)-, H,N-C(0)-, R'-NH-C(0)-, R'-N(R")-C(0)-, H,N-S(0);-, R'-NH-S(0).-, R'-N(R")-S(0)z-, NC-, O.

N-, pheny! and Het; Y is C(R")=C(R"); Zis C(R™); R' R¥® R® R*® R* R*® R% and R%, chosen from the series consisting of (C4-Ce)-alkyl, (C2- Ce)-alkenyl, (C,-Ce)-alkynyl, (C3-C;)-cycloalkyl and (C;-Cy)-cycloaikyl-(C,-Ca)-alkyl- which are all optionally substituted by one or more identical or different substituents R™; R® and R® are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, (C1- C4)-alkyl, phenyl-(C4-Cy4)-alkyl-, phenyl and hydroxy; R* and R® are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and (C4-Cy4)-alkyl;

R™, R®, and R'® are independently of each other chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, (C,-C,)-alkyl, HO-(C,-C4)-alkyl-, (C4-C,)-alkyl-O-, (C1-C4)-alkyl-S(O)m-, H2N-, (C+-Ca)-alkyl-NH-, (C4-C4)-alkyl =N((C4-C4)-alkyl )-,(C4-C4)-alkyl-C(O)-, NC- and ON-; R% is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen and (C4-C4)-alkyl; one of the groups R*' and R# is a group of the formula Ii R%_-R%.

Il and the other of the groups R?' and R# is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, halogen, R*, HO-, R®-O-, R®-C(0)-O-, R®-S(0),-0-, R®-S(O)-, H2N-, R¥-NH-, R®-N(R*)-, R¥-C(0)-NH-, R®-C(0)-N(R™")-, R®-S(0),-NH-, R®-S(0).-N(R"")-, R¥-C(0)-, HO-C(O)-, R*-O- C(O)-, H;N-C(0)-, RP-NH-C(O)-, R*-N(R*)-C(O)-, H;N-S(O).-, R*-N H-S(O);-, R**-N(R*)- S(0),-, NC-, O,N- and Het"; R% is a direct bond or a chain consisting of 1 to 5 chain members of which 0, 1 or 2 chain members are identical or different hetero chain members chosen from the series consisting of N(R*), O, S, S(O) and S(0)., but two hetero chain members can be present in adjacent positions only if one of them is chosen from the series consisting of S(O) and S(O); and the other is chosen from the series consisting of N(R%), O and S, and the other chain members are identical or different groups C(R?®)(R%), wherein two adjacent groups C(R?*)(R*) can be connected to each other by a double bond or a triple bond; R* is chosen from the series consisting of hydrogen, R*!, HO-, R¥-0-, R*'-C(0)-0-, R*'-S(O)x-, H,N-, R¥-NH-, R¥-N(R®")-, R¥'-C(O)-NH-, R*-C(O)-N(R™")-, R*-§(0),-NH-, R*'-§(0)-N(R"")-, R3'-C(O)-, HO-C(0)-, R*'-0-C(0)-, H,N-C(0)-, R¥-NH-C(0)-, R*'-N(R*")-C(0O)-, H.N-S(O).-, R¥'-NH-S(0),-, R¥-N(R*)-S(0),-, NC- and a 3-membered to 10-membered, monocyclic, bicyclic or tricyclic ring which is saturated or unsaturated and contains 0, 1, 2 or 3 identical or different hetero ring members chosen from the series consisting of Ny N(R*), O, S, S(O) and S(O),, which ring is optionally substituted on ring carbon atoms by one or more identical or different substituents chosen from the series consisting of halogen, R*, HO-, R®-0-, R®-C(O)- O-, R%-8(0),-0-, R¥-8(O)nr, HoN-, R¥-NH-, R®-N(R®)-, R®-C(0)-NH-, R®-C(0)-N(R"")-, R*- S(0),-NH-, R®-S(0),-N(R”")-, HoN-S(0)-NH-, R¥*-NH-S(0)2-NH-, R®*-N(R*)-S(0),-NH-, HN- S(0),-N(R™")-, R®-NH-S(0),-N(R™")-, R¥3-N(R*)-S(0),-N(R™")-, R®-C(0)-, HO-C(0)-, R*-O-

12. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound according to claim 9, in any of its stereoisomeric forms or a mixture of stereoisomeric forms in any ratio, or a physiologically acceptable solvate of any of them and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

13. The compound according to claim 1, which is 2-[4-methylsulfanyl-3-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)- benzoylamino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid, or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof.

14. The compound according to claim 1, which is 2-[4-ethoxy-3-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)- benzoylamino}-indane-2-carboxylic acid, or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof.

15. The compound according to claim 1, which is 2-{4-methoxy-3-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)- benzoylamino}-indane-2-carboxylic acid, or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof.

16. The compound according to claim 1, which is 2-[4-methoxy-3-(1-m-tolyl- cyclopropylmethoxy)-benzoylamino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid, or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof.

17. The compound according to claim 1, which is 2-[3-(2-m-tolyl-ethoxy)-4-trifluoromethyl- benzoylamino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid, or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof.

18. The compound according to claim 1, which is 2-(3-{2-[3-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-phenyl]-ethoxy}- 4-methoxy-benzoylamino)-indane-2-carboxylic acid, or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof. t

19. The compound according to claim 1, which is 2-[(6-methoxy-3'-trifluoromethoxy-biphenyl-3- carbonyl)-amino}-indane-2-carboxylic acid, or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof.

20. The compound according to claim 1, which is 2-[(3'-chloro-6-methoxy-2'-methyl-biphenyi-3- carbonyl)-amino]-indane-2-carboxylic acid, or a physiologically acceptable salt thereof. !

21. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound according to claim 13, ora physiological acceptable salt thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

22. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the compound according to claim 14, or a physiological acceptable salt thereof, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.