An efficient reconfigurable ad-hoc algorithm for multi-sink wireless sensor networks

Abstract

This article presents a novel distributed protocol for wireless sensor network formation and operation in multi-sink environments. It consists of three stages: the first one performs network formation and maintenance under a policy of low power consumption based on a local strategy in which every sensor node in the environment interacts only with the neighbour nodes. The second one uses local information to build trees from the sink nodes using a load balance strategy. In the third stage, the sinks collect sensed data through the trees. The protocol has been modelled by a timed Petri net, which is used first for a qualitative validation in which deadlocks, operational functionality, overflows, bottlenecks, and delays were checked, and later for network performance analysis.