EDC-I Mini Project

FIRE ALARM CIRCUIT

USING THERMISTOR
By

Rajas Kadge

Parth Satpute

Suyash Trimbakkar

Adhip Pednekar

Under the Guidance of

Prof .Prajakta Borole

Atharva College of Engineering

Malad-Marve Road, Charkop Naka, Malad (W), Mumbai-
95
Department of Electronics Engineering
University of Mumbai
Year 2019-2020
 Contents

Serial No. Topic Page No.

1. Introduction 01

2. Proposed Methodology 02

3. Parameters 02

4. Circuit Diagram 04

5. Explanation 04

6. Components 05

7. Principle 10

8. Applications 12
 FIRE ALARM CIRCUIT USING THERMISTOR

Introduction to FIRE ALARM CIRCUIT

Fire Alarm Circuit is a simple circuit that detects the fire and activates the Siren Sound or
Buzzer. Fire Alarm Circuits are very important devices to detect fire in the right time and
prevent any damage to people or property.
The most essential electronic device at home or industry or any other place where there is a
chance of fire accident is a fire alarm circuit. The fire alarm circuit can be defined as an
electronic circuit used for identifying fire accident and alert. Thus, by using the fire alarm
circuit, we can avoid financial loss and also save people from dangerous fire accidents.

Introduction to THERMISTOR
A thermistor is a type of resistor whose resistance is dependent on temperature, more so than
in standard resistors. The word is a portmanteau of thermal and resistor. Thermistors are
widely used as inrush current limiters, temperature sensors (negative temperature coefficient
or NTC type typically), self-resetting overcurrent protectors, and self-regulating heating
elements (positive temperature coefficient or PTC type typically).
Thermistors are of two opposite fundamental types:
 With NTC thermistors, resistance decreases as temperature rises. An NTC is commonly used
as a temperature sensor, or in series with a circuit as an inrush current limiter.
 With PTC thermistors, resistance increases as temperature rises. PTC thermistors are
commonly installed in series with a circuit, and used to protect
against overcurrent conditions, as resettable fuses.
Thermistors are generally produced using powdered metal oxides. With vastly improved
formulas and techniques over the past 20 years, NTC thermistors can now achieve precision
accuracies over wide temperature ranges such as ±0.1 °C or ±0.2 °C from 0 °C to 70 °C with
excellent long-term stability. NTC thermistor elements come in many styles [2] such as axial-
leaded glass-encapsulated (DO-35, DO-34 and DO-41 diodes), glass-coated chips, epoxy-
coated with bare or insulated lead wire and surface-mount, as well as rods and discs. The
typical operating temperature range of a thermistor is −55 °C to +150 °C, though some glass-
body thermistors have a maximal operating temperature of +300 °C.
 Thermistors differ from resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) in that the material used in a
thermistor is generally a ceramic or polymer, while RTDs use pure metals. The temperature
response is also different; RTDs are useful over larger temperature ranges, while thermistors
typically achieve a greater precision within a limited temperature range, typically −90 °C to
130 °C.
Features
 Come with broad resistance range
 Thermistor cost is economical
 Provided with lacquer-coated thermistor disk
 Copper leads have coating of tin.
 Having lead spacing of 5.0 mm
 Component remarked with resistance and tolerance
 Good stability, durability in environment
 Provide high accuracy in resistance and B-constant
 Product is not containing lead

Proposed Methodology
This simple fire alarm circuit is based on thermistor and fire detection is possible through this
circuit.
 This circuit is very useful in home security systems.
 This circuit works based on the principle of switching property of the transistor
 The thermistor and resistor R1 forms potential divider n/w to drive the transistor
 The semiconductor materials used for thermistors are sensitive to temperature
 The transistor is switched ON by the voltage drop through the resistor R1.
 Consider the atmosphere’s temperature is around 25°C, and then the resistance of the
thermistor changes, then the voltage across the thermistor changes according to the principle
of ohm’s law V=IR.
 When the voltage across resistor R1 is low, then it is not sufficient to turn ON the transistor.
 When the temperature increases, the resistance of thermistor decreases, so that the drop
across the resistor R1 increases which turns ON the transistor.
 When the transistor is turned ON, the current from Vcc starts to flow via buzzer which
generates a beep sound. The diode is used for enabling unidirectional conduction and the
capacitor removes sudden transients from the thermistor.
Parameters

1. Zero-power Resistance of Thermistor: (R)

The convenient reference point for thermistors provided by resistance is at 25 °C (substantially at

room temperature).The formula by which the resistance of the thermistor is specified:

R=R0 expB (1/T-1/T0)

Where, R = Resistance in ambient temperature T (K)

R0 = Resistance in ambient temperature T0 (K)

B = Material constant

2. Material Constant: (B)

Material constant B controls the slope of the RT characteristics as shown in figure. B value
vary according to the temperature and defined between two temperature 25°C and 85°C by
the formula:

Fig 3.1 R-T Characteristics

B25/85 = ln (R85/R25) / (1/T – 1/T0)

B25/85 is the value used to compare and characterize different ceramics. Tolerance on this
value is caused by material composition

3. Temperature co-efficient of Resistance: (α)

This value shows the sensitivity of a sensor according to temperature changes. It defined as:
α = ∆ B/ T2
The formula represents that the relative tolerance on α is equal to the relative tolerance on B-
value.

4. Thermal Time constant

This is the time period in which the thermistor’s temperature will rapidly change 63.2% of its
temperature (T0) difference from ambient temperature (T1).

Fig 3.2 Temp-Time Characteristics

5. Thermal Dissipation Constant

The amount of electric power P (mW) consumed in T1 (ambient temperature) and T2 (rises thermistor
temperature), there is a formula as follows:
P = C (T2-T1)
Where, C is the thermal dissipation constant.

Circuit Diagram

Fig 4.1 Circuit Diagram

Explanation

In this fire alarm circuit, a thermistor works as the heat sensor. When temperature increases,
its resistance decreases, and vice versa. At normal temperature, the resistance of the
thermistor (TH1) is approximately 10 kilo-ohms, which reduces to a few ohms as the
temperature increases beyond 100°C. This fire alarm using thermistor circuit involves readily
available components and can be easily constructed on any general purpose PCB.
The circuit consists of a 10k ohm thermistor. This is an NTC thermistor, which decreases its
resistance with increase in the temperature.At room temperature it had a resistance of
10kohms.Another resistance is connected to the thermistor to form voltage divider circuit and
this is connected to the transistor through a diode.Buzzer switches on only when the transistor
is grounded. As the temperature increase the buzzer sound also increases
This circuit uses a thermistor to sense the temperature. When it senses that the temperature of
the environment is increasing above a given threshold, then it gives a signal. The temperature
at which the circuit detects fire can be adjusted by using the potentiometer arrangement at
VR1.
Components

1. Resistor

Fig 6.1 Resistor

A resistor is a passive two-terminal electrical component that implements electrical resistance
as a circuit element. In electronic circuits, resistors are used to reduce current flow, adjust
signal levels, to divide voltages, bias active elements, and terminate transmission lines,
among the electrical function of a resistor is specified by its resistance: common commercial
resistors are manufactured over a range of more than nine orders of magnitude. The nominal
value of the resistance falls within the manufacturing tolerance, indicated on the component.
High-power resistors that can dissipate many watts of electrical power as heat may be used as
part of motor controls, in power distribution systems, or as test loads for generators. Fixed
resistors have resistances that only change slightly with temperature, time or operating
voltage. Variable resistors can be used to adjust circuit elements, or as sensing devices for
heat, light, humidity, force, or chemical activity.
Resistors are common elements of electrical networks and electronic circuits and are
ubiquitous in electronic equipment. Practical resistors as discrete components can be
composed of various compounds and forms. Resistors are also implemented within integrated
circuits.

2. Connecting Wires

Connecting wires allows an electrical current to travel from one point on a circuit to another
because electricity needs a medium through which it can move. Most of the connecting wires
are made up of copper or aluminum. Copper is cheap and good conductivity. Instead of the
copper, we can also use silver which has high conductivity but it is too costly to use.

Fig 6.2 Connecting Wires

Connecting wires provide a medium to an electrical current so that they can travel from one
point on a circuit to another. In the case of computers, wires are embedded into circuit boards
to carry pulses of electricity. In a basic circuit, the wire comes from one terminal of a power
source, then connects to a switch that determines whether the circuit is open or closed.
The connected wires of a device are used to draw power and electricity, and perform
specified tasks. Before a current can travel through the wire, the circuit has to be closed; in
other words, there cannot be any breaks in the path. Electricity cannot easily travel through
air, and if it does there is a risk of stray current leaking into the surroundings and causing
damage or failing to power the appliance.

3. Buzzer

Fig 6.3 Buzzer

A buzzer is an audio signaling device, which may be mechanical, electromechanical or
piezoelectric (piezo for short). Typical uses of buzzers and beepers include alarm devices,
timers and confirmation of user input such as mouse click or keystroke.
It most commonly consists of a number of switches or sensors connected to a control unit
that determines if and which button was pushed or a preset time has lapsed, and usually
illuminates a light on the appropriate button or control panel, and sounds a warning in the
form of a continuous or intermittent buzzing or beeping sound. Initially this device was based
on an electromechanical system which was identical to an electric bell without the metal gong
(which makes the ringing noise). Often these units were anchored to a wall or ceiling and
used the ceiling or wall as a sounding board. Another implementation with some AC-
connected devices was to implement a circuit to make the AC current into a noise loud
enough to drive a loudspeaker and hook this circuit up to a cheap 8-ohm speaker. Nowadays,
it is more popular to use a ceramic-based piezoelectric sounder like a Sonalert which makes a
high-pitched tone. Usually these were hooked up to "driver" circuits which varied the pitch of
the sound or pulsed the sound on and off.
The word "buzzer" comes from the rasping noise that buzzers made when they were
electromechanical devices, operated from stepped-down AC line voltage at 50 or 60 cycles.
Other sounds commonly used to indicate that a button has been pressed are a ring or a beep.

4. Transistor BC 547

Fig 6.4 Transistor BC 547

BC547 is a NPN transistor hence the collector and emitter will be left open (Reverse biased)
when the base pin is held at ground and will be closed (Forward biased) when a signal is
provided to base pin. BC547 has a gain value of 110 to 800, this value determines the
amplification capacity of the transistor. The maximum amount of current that could flow
through the Collector pin is 100mA, hence we cannot connect loads that consume more
than100mA using this transistor. To bias a transistor we have to supply current to base pin,
this current (IB) should be limited to 5mA.
When this transistor is fully biased then it can allow a maximum of 100mA to flow across the
collector and emitter. This stage is called SaturationRegion and the typical voltage
allowedacross the Collector-Emitter (VCE) or Base-Emitter (VBE) could be 200 and 900 mV
respectively. When base current is removed the transistor becomes fully off, this stage is
called as the Cut-off Region and the Base Emitter voltage could be around 660 mV.

5. Thermistor

Fig 6.5 10kΩ Thermistor

Thermistor is an electronic component used to calculate the temperature.This is a type of
resistor whose resistance varies with change in temperature. These NTC thermistors are made
up from the combination of metal oxides which passed through sintering process which gives
negative electrical resistance versus temperature (R/T) relationship to it. Due to having a
large negative slope a small change in temperature cause a huge change in electrical
resistance.
Basically, there are two types of thermistor one is NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient)
and second one is PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient). If the thermistor is NTC type then
it decreases the resistance as increase in temperature and PTC behaviour is just opposite to
the NTC. A thermistor is connected with any electrical circuit to measure the temperature of
the body or the substance. This thermistor’s operating temperature range is -55 °C to 125 °C,
the range of the temperature is depend upon the base resistance.
The first NTC thermistor was discovered in 1833 by Michael Faraday, who reported on the
semiconducting behaviour of silver sulphide. Faraday noticed that the resistance
of silver sulphide decreased dramatically as temperature increased.

6. 9V Battery

Fig 6.6 9V Battery

The nine-volt battery, or 9-volt battery, is a common size of battery that was introduced for
the early transistor radios. It has a rectangular prism shape with rounded edges and a
polarized snap connector at the top. This type is commonly used in walkie-
talkies, clocks and smoke detectors.
The nine-volt battery format is commonly available in primary carbon-zinc and alkaline
chemistry, in primary lithium iron disulphide, and in rechargeable form in nickel-cadmium,
nickel-metal hydride and lithium-ion. Mercury-oxide batteries of this format, once common,
have not been manufactured in many years due to their mercury content. The size, regardless
of chemistry, is commonly designated PP3-a designation originally reserved solely for
carbon-zinc, or in some countries, E or E-block.
Most nine-volt alkaline batteries are constructed of six individual 1.5 V LR61 cells enclosed
in a wrapper. Carbon-zinc types are made with six flat cells in a stack, enclosed in a
moisture-resistant wrapper to prevent drying. Primary lithium types are made with three cells
in series.

7. PCB
 Fig 6.7 General Purpose PCB
A printed circuit board (PCB) mechanically supports and electrically connects electronic
components or electrical components using conductive tracks, pads and other
features etched from one or more sheet layers of copper laminated onto and/or between sheet
layers of a non-conductive substrate. Components are generally soldered onto the PCB to
both electrically connect and mechanically fasten them to it. Printed circuit boards are used in
all but the simplest electronic products. They are also used in some electrical products, such
as passive switch boxes.
Alternatives to PCBs include wire wrap and point-to-point construction, both once popular
but now rarely used. PCBs require additional design effort to lay out the circuit, but
manufacturing and assembly can be automated. Specialized CAD software is available to do
much of the work of layout. Mass-producing circuits with PCBs is cheaper and faster than
with other wiring methods, as components are mounted and wired in one operation.
Largenumbers of PCBs can be fabricated at the same time, and the layout only has to be done
once. PCBs can also be made manually in small quantities, with reduced benefits.
PCBs can be single-sided (one copper layer), double-sided (two copper layers on both sides
of one substrate layer), or multi-layer (outer and inner layers of copper, alternating with
layers of substrate). Multi-layer PCBs allow for much higher component density, because
circuit traces on the inner layers would otherwise take up surface space between components.
The rise in popularity of multilayer PCBs with more than two, and especially with more than
four, copper planes was concurrent with the adoption of surface mount technology. However,
multilayer PCBs make repair, analysis, and field modification of circuits much more difficult
and usually impractical.
Principle
The fire alarm working principle is based on thermistor used in the fire alarm circuit. This
fire alarm circuit is used to identify and indicate an increase in temperature beyond certain
value (temperature of an enclosed area).
The increase in temperature is indicated by turning ON the Buzzer (cooling system can be
used to bring the temperature to its normal value). Thus, if the temperature exceeds a certain
value, then the cooler or load turns ON automatically without any monitoring system. To
actuate the relay instead of Buzzer, operational amplifier along with negative coefficient
thermistor can be used.
In this fire alarm mini project circuit, thermistor is used as a temperature sensor because
thermistor is very economical compared to all other temperature sensors. But, for applications
that require linear response correction is needed as thermistors exhibit highly nonlinear
resistance vs temperature characteristics. In the above block diagram if the temperature
changes then the input to NPN transistor changes. The output of NPN transistor is used to
turn ON the Buzzer.
Voltage is constantly flowing through the buzzer and the thermistor. When the thermistor
gets hot, as it would during a fire, the resistance drops allowing the positive voltage to pass
through the thermistor, diode and the 1k resistor. The 1k resistor regulates the voltage to the
transistor to ensure proper function. The transistor connects the ground to the buzzer and is
required to complete the circuit. Once the positive voltage flows through the transistor, it
switches on allowing the buzzer to sound.
The accuracy of this fire alarm mini project can be increased by using a digital temperature
sensor instead of analog. This project can be further enhanced to extinguish fire using fire
fighting robot project.
The fire fighting robot is used to extinguish fire which can be detected using temperature
sensor. The fire fighting robot consists of a water tank with a pump to sprinkle water in case
of a fire accident.
Block Diagram of Fire Alarm Circuit using Thermistor

Fig 7.1 Block Diagram of Fire Alarm Circuit using Thermistor

The block diagram of fire alarm circuit block diagram can be estimated based on the
requirement and application of project.
The simple fire alarm system is one of the innovative solder less breadboard projects. This
fire alarm project block diagram consists of thermistor, transistor, indicator (buzzer) and
battery.
 Applications

 Fire Alarm Circuits are very useful in homes, offices, schools, labs, etc. to detect and
prevent any disasters due to fire.
 Fire Alarm Systems can work as a stand – alone devices or be a part of a complex
home security system with other security features like smoke detection, intruder alert,
motion detection, etc.
 Conventional fire alarm systems use a simple zone feedback, meaning each detection
zone needs its own wiring circuit and a minimum of 2 separate sounder
circuits/master alarm circuits. Therefore, the expense of the wiring and installation
usually prohibits their use in anything other than smaller plan area applications e.g.
1000-2000 sq. ft. (single frontage shop, single room village hall etc.)
 Wireless radio fire alarms and detectors are ideal when wiring and installation access
are limited or will prove expensive e.g. in listed and historic building. In these
scenarios, the more expensive wireless system can actually present a cost saving due
to reduced installation cost and levels of required remedial work.
 Detect fire in the areas. Notify building occupants to take evasive action to escape the
dangers of a hostile fire.
 Summon organized assistance to initiate or assist in fire control activities. Initiate
automatic fire control and suppression systems and to sound alarm.
 Supervise fire control and suppression systems to assure operational status is
maintained. Initiate auxiliary involving environmental, utility and process controls.
 References

 https://www.elprocus.com/fire-alarm-circuit-using-thermistor/
 https://greenbands17.blogspot.com/2017/11/fire-alarm-howto-make-fire-alarm-
in.html
 https://www.electronicshub.org/simple-fire-alarm-
circuit/#Circuit_2_Simple_Fire_Alarm_Circuit_using_Thermistor
 https://www.electronics-
notes.com/articles/electronic_components/resistors/thermistor-specifications-specs-
parameters.php
 https://www.watelectrical.com/thermistor-working-principle-with-applications/