A Comparative Study of the Energy Efficient Clustering Protocols in Heterogeneous and Homogeneous Wireless Sensor Networks

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More recently, wireless sensor networks (WSN) have been widely recognized as a highly emerging technology. WSN is made up of a set of sensors, whose sole source of energy is the battery. As sensors are usually used in inaccessible areas, replacing or recharging the battery turns out to be almost impossible. It is actually, energy consumption which constitutes the major problem that causes too much trouble with these networks. In this respect, clustering algorithms prove to provide a remarkably adequate solution to cope with such a problem. This technique appears very helpful in minimizing the node energy consumption thus increasing the network’s lifespan. There exist two types of clustering algorithms: homogeneous and heterogeneous. In homogeneous clustering algorithms, all nodes have the same technical characteristics (bandwidth, processor, initial energy, etc.) while in heterogeneous clustering algorithms, nodes bear different technical characteristics, in other words, some of them holding greater capacity than others. In this paper, several of the recently developed WSN associated clustering algorithms are depicted. These algorithms are categorized according to the nodes’ typology and mobility. Additionally, some algorithms have also been simulated in a bid to compare them in terms of energy consumption and network lifetime.