You can use a PNP or an NPN transistor in a fire alarm circuit. Both will work. It all depends on how you want to energize the alarm, and with what polarity of signal.
Manually turning off a shunt trip breaker should not set off the fire alarm. The only way that the breaker could set off the fire alarm when turned to the off position is if there is an auxiliary contact on the breaker connected to the fire alarm circuit. This is not usually done because the breaker should be able to be turned off when doing maintenance on the breakers circuit. If the breaker is a mandatory feed breaker to a piece of fire alarm equipment and shouldn't be left in the off position it might have a trouble circuit connected to the fire alarm panel. A trouble alarm on a fire alarm panel is different from an alarm circuit alarm.
Heat changes the resistance of a circuit. The change is detected by the system, and activates the alarm.
Under the NFPA Fire Alarm Code, the control panel must have its own dedicated circuit, the circuit must be labeled "Fire Alarm Circuit" and the handle of the circuit breaker must be colored red. Other rules apply in jurisdictions that adopt other standards, or for other types of fire alarms. For example, under New Hampshire Fire Code, you are PROHIBITED from installing self-contained smoke alarms on a dedicated circuit.
Notification Appliance Circuit
In the US, NFPA 72 (2007) 4.4.1.4.2.2: "Circuit disconnecting means shall have a red marking, shall be accessible only to authorized personnel, and shall be identified as 'FIRE ALARM CIRCUIT'". Other codes, or earlier versions, may have slightly different requirements, such as marking it "FACP" for "fire alarm control panel."
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a fire would bend the strip which would complete the circuit for an alarm. When cooled, it might complete another circuit, answering your second question.
The fire alarm device is usually equipped with an Amercium-241 that is alpha emitter source together with a battery derived electric circuit. In the normal situation the alpha particles ionize the air causing circuit connection. However when there is a smoke the circuit is disconnected due to the smoke that acts as an insulator and hence the alarm is actuated.
Style Y is a designation of circuit performance under different states of the circuit. For example: an initiating circuit and a NAC circuit may both be class B, with a panel on one end of the circuit and a resistor on the other. If there is an open on either circuit (the panel doesn't see the EOL), then a trouble is initiated at the panel. However, if there is a short between the two wires on a circuit, the panel will react very differently on the initiating circuit than it will on the NAC. Style Y means that the fire alarm panel will display a trouble on either an open or a short on the NAC circuit, where style 4 means that the Initiating circuit will generate an alarm on the panel in the event of a short, and a trouble in the event of an open.
Are you referring to the circuit supplying power to the control panel or the initiation/notification branch circuits controlled by the fire alarm system? The ampacity of the fire alarm control panel would determine the circuit size of the branch circuit supplying power to the control panel and the terminal on the control panel and fire alarm device would detrmine the size of conductor that it will accept. Most fire alarm control panels would require a minimum 15 amp circuit. The minimum conductor size allowed per the NEC would be 14 AWG. 22 AWG. is the smallest conductor that most control panels and device terminals will accept. These are considered Power Limited circuits.
A resistor in a sensor circuit is used as a simple way to monitor the function of the circuit. The resistor has a calibrated and known voltage drop and current while the circuit is "normal". If there is a short-circuit, or an open-circuit, the voltage and current will change and trigger the trouble alarm.