An Energy-proportional Routing Algorithm for Lifetime Extension of Clustering-based Wireless Sensor Networks

This paper proposes an energy-proportional routing (EPR) algorithm, which effectively extends the lifetimes of clustered sensor networks. To optimally utilize energy, light-load clusters that conserve energy are ideal candidates as intermediate nodes for forwarding data from others. To balance the load, first, the proposed algorithm predicts energy consumption of each cluster in each round. Then the algorithm controls the energy consumption of each cluster as close as possible to the threshold representing the energy mean value among clusters. Finally the algorithm checks satisfaction of the energy constraints in terms of distances and predicted data amounts. The proposed algorithm performs routing by determining whether a cluster head should either undertake forwarding tasks or transmit data to intermediate hops. In this way, energy dissipation is evenly distributed to all clusters and the lifetime of the whole wireless sensor network is ultimately extended. In addition to experiments, the mathematical proofs of lifetime extension by the proposed routing algorithm are given in accordance with three widely accepted criteria – total energy dissipation, the number of live nodes in each round and the throughput (data amount per round).