Browsing by Author "Connell, Ryan"
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Item Controlling Optical Transport in Luminescent Solar Concentrators(2019-05) Connell, RyanLuminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) improve solar cell performance by transforming the spectrally broad and partially diffuse solar spectrum into a spectrally narrow and focused light source, which is then concentrated onto a small-area solar cell. However, LSCs do not currently reach their full concentrating potential due to losses in the system that prevent luminescent light from reaching the edge of the concentrator, including light scattering and coupling to the escape cone. In order to reduce escape cone losses within LSCs, nanophotonic structures were designed for concentrators with CdSe/CdS core/shell nanocrystals. Using a combination of Monte Carlo ray-tracing simulations and FDTD simulations we show that concentration factor improvements of 3.7 times the standard concentrator are achievable when spectrally-selective mirrors are placed on top of the LSC. Further enhancements to the optical efficiency are possible when the emitted light is controlled either by a phase gradient metasurface or the directional emission of a nanophotonic stack of alternating high and low refractive index layers. Finally, we show that directional emission is also expected for a nanoscale thin film LSC on glass, which can also be fabricated by embedding CdSe/CdS in poly (cyclohexylethylene), a new polymer for LSC applications. To reduce scattering losses for LSCs, new surface ligands have been proposed for Si nanocrystals that improve dispersion in polymer matrices. In this collaboration, I characterized Si/poly (methyl methacrylate) composites and showed that the scattering losses are reduced by six fold using these new surface ligands when compared to previous methods. The design criteria established in this work demonstrate that nanophotonic structures can control the optical transport in LSCs, and that low scattering quantum dot/polymer composites are essential to realize high performance. The ability to control the light guiding properties in LSCs will be crucial for high quality LSCs and future implementation into building integrated photovoltaic technologies.Item Foreword: The Future of Reverse Payments in the Wake of FTC v. Actavis, Inc.(Minnesota Journal of Law, Science and Technology, 2014-02-20) Marsili, Caroline; Palmen, Brandon; Desai, Sarvesh; Connell, Ryan; Punia, Savir; Ferrell, Elliot; Kidd, George; Maloney, Eric; Nomura, Jennifer; Lu, Ude; Suresh, Maya; DeRuyter, Katelyn; Parker, Nihal; Morben, BryanReverse payment patent litigation settlements, wherein the payments flow from plaintiff brand name drug companies to defendant generic competitors, often including agreements that the generic companies will delay market entry, have evaded consistent legal treatment and divided courts for over a decade. In December 2012, the United States Supreme Court granted the Federal Trade Commission’s petition for writ of certiorari to review FTC v. Watson Pharmaceuticals. In Watson, the Eleventh Circuit found that, absent sham litigation or fraud, reverse payment settlements are legal under antitrust law as long as the settlement agreement falls within the exclusionary scope of the patent. The Watson decision was followed mere months later by the Third Circuit’s In re K-DUR decision, concluding that reverse-payment settlements should be deemed presumptively unlawful under a quick-look rule of reason approach. Because “different courts have reached different conclusions” regarding the legality of reverse-payment settlements, the Supreme Court endeavored to resolve the circuit split in FTC v. Actavis, Inc. On June 17, 2013, with Justice Breyer writing the majority opinion in a 5-3 decision, the Supreme Court reversed the Eleventh Circuit, holding that governments and private plaintiffs have a cause of action under the antitrust laws against brand name and generic pharmaceutical companies engaging in reverse payment settlements. The Court directed lower courts reviewing such claims to apply a full rule of reason analysis to drug companies’ potentially anticompetitive conduct. In the spring of 2013, in anticipation of the Court’s decision, the Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology invited scholars and practitioners who have analyzed and developed the jurisprudence of reverse payment settlements to respond to FTC v. Actavis, Inc. The following eleven response pieces digest the opinion, critique both Justice Breyer’s majority opinion and Chief Justice Roberts’ dissent, and provide direction for courts and practitioners in navigating the new legal landscape of reverse-payment settlements in the wake of FTC v. Actavis, Inc.Item Future Energy Solutions for North St. Paul: Exploring Net Zero Carbon(Resilient Communities Project (RCP), University of Minnesota, 2013) Connell, Ryan; Cruz, Alli; Laird, Angela; Tong, KangkangThis project was completed as part of the 2013-2014 Resilient Communities Project (rcp.umn.edu) partnership with the City of North St. Paul. The City of North St. Paul is unique in that it operates its own electric utility, in cooperation with Minnesota Municipal Power Agency. The city sought assistance investigating and providing information to residents, businesses, and elected officials about alternative energy and energy conservation initiatives, as well as identifying strategies for dedicating electric utility revenue toward green energy initiatives such as wind, solar, and geothermal. North St. Paul Electric Utility Director Brian Frandle partnered with five teams of students in PA 5271: Energy and Environmental Policy, to investigate such opportunities. A presentation prepared by student group 5 is available. A video produced by the students is available at https://youtu.be/rUPxwq_EG-Y. (Student deliverables from the other four student teams are catalogued separately.).