An energy-efficient cluster-based routing in wireless sensor networks

Abstract

In Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), sensor nodes depend on batteries for energy source. The ability to use limited energy efficiently is the key to determining the lifetime of networks and the amount of information transmitted. Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH) is a representative cluster-based routing protocol designed to ensure energy use efficiency. In this paper, a protocol scheme was proposed wherein member nodes (lower-level nodes) are designed to compare the currently sensed data with the previously sensed one and to switch to sleep mode when a match is achieved. The design is to help improve the transmission energy efficiency. The proposed scheme was tested via simulations and was compared with two existing cluster-based algorithms, i.e., LEACH and Threshold Sensitive Energy Efficient Sensor Network Protocol (TEEN). Performance evaluation was conducted based on the number of surviving nodes in each of the three networks (i.e., LEACH, TEEN, and proposed scheme) over time. The results indicated that the scheme contributed to greater energy efficiency by helping to increase the lifetime of the LEACH network by a maximum of 27%. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.