In an evaporator that chills brine, what process provides the greatest cooling effect?

The process that provides the greatest cooling effect in an evaporator that chills brine is the boiling of a low pressure liquid. When a low pressure liquid evaporates, it absorbs heat from the surrounding environment, in this case, from the brine. This heat absorption is what lowers the temperature of the brine effectively.

During the boiling process, the liquid changes into vapor at a relatively low temperature due to the low pressure conditions. This transition requires a significant amount of energy, known as the latent heat of vaporization. As the liquid absorbs this energy, it cools the surrounding brine, which is the desired outcome in chilling applications.

In contrast, other processes like the condensing of gas, freezing of liquid, and evaporating high pressure liquid do not provide the same level of heat absorption or immediate cooling effect that boiling low pressure liquid does. Each of those processes may also involve heat transfer, but they are less efficient in accomplishing the primary goal of significantly lowering the temperature of the brine in an evaporative cooling system.