The Verified™ RCA system uses expert software and a web-enabled database to collect RCA measurements from technicians, evaluate the measurements for errors, report expert recommendations, and validate final results.
The program provides several innovative and cost effective communication methods to check technician supplied measurement results through: 1) web-enabled personal digital assistant (PDA); 2) cell-phone telephony; 3) web-enabled cell phone; 4) web-enabled PC notebook; or 5) toll-free telephone support with an EPA-certified technician. The program offers multiple communication methods to make it easy for technicians to check proper RCA for new air conditioners.
An overview of the Verified™ RCA Database System is shown in the figure below.
If technicians provide incorrect or nonsensical values the software will check the inputs and provide appropriate responses such as “wetbulb temperature cannot be greater than drybulb temperature” or “suction temperature cannot be lower than evaporator saturation temperature (EST).” These expert checking procedures eliminate guess work and make the Verified™ process easier and more accurate. All data is error checked and stored in the database. Verified™ jobs are double-checked in the field by EPA-certified technicians to maintain quality control and reliability in the energy and peak demand savings.
Examples of how the PDA software works for airflow and superheat are provided in the figures below.
Pre-Airflow Temperature Split (TS) |
Post-Airflow Temperature Split (TS)
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Pre-Superheat SuperHeat (SH)
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Post-Superheat SuperHeat (SH)
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Screen space on the PDA is limited so acronyms are used as labels. “TS” is an acronym for Temperature Split. Selecting TS opens the airflow verification screen. “SH” is an acronym for SuperHeat. Selecting SH opens the superheat verification screen to check refrigerant charge for non-TXV systems.
The cell-phone telephony system is a VoiceXML application architecture that uses an internet Web-server to run the application logic from the server database. The VoiceXML interpreter acts as a client to the application server. The interpreter understands VoiceXML dialogs and controls speech and telephony resources. These resources include ASR, TTS, audio play and record functions, as well as a telephone network interface. A TCP/IP-based packet network connects the application server and telephony server via HTTP. The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is used so that any telephone can connect to the network through the Verified™ toll-free 800 number. Call 866-382-6976 to listen to a demonstration VoiceXML application for checking refrigerant superheat.
