[dila813]

actually, what they need is a cold sunny climate that will prevent evaporation.

Maybe that is what they are going after in New Mexico, there are some areas in the north that are cold but as sunny as the hot areas.

[count-your-change]

Joule's home page describes a closed system not the open algae pools used in other processes. So either warm or cool would work.

Exactly how the diesel or alcohol is to be separated is not explained but evidently evaporation is not the way.

Their description of process skips processing or refining algae and has microorganisms directly producing usable compounds.

But at 15,000/gal. diesel/acre/yr. a million acre facility would produce what percentage of U.S. consumption? Do the math.

[Freeport]

Since the ponds would be sealed to prevent outside contamination, evaporation would be a benefit; the ethanol as a vapor could be collected from the top and partially liguified by a heat exchanger at the bottom of the tank it was generated in! Dissolved ethanol is a pain to separate.