An adaptive solar-aware framework and strategy for outdoor deployment of WSN

Abstract

The high density of solar energy makes outdoor application of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) possible. In recent years, some advanced technologies have emerged in solar WSNs. However, there are still some problems: (1) existing energy prediction algorithms are difficult to deploy in scenarios with many small nodes in different locations; (2) how and when to adjust network topology. To solve the two problems, this paper proposes a solar WSN adaptation framework (SWAF). SWAF includes the proposed shadow judgment method (SJM) based on geographic and geometric theories and the solar-aware routing strategy (SAR) based on integer programming. SJM is a key adaptation algorithm that facilitates the integration of existing prediction techniques and enables the solar WSN to be deployed in practice. SAR is modeled with the goal of reducing node mortality. The AKS-based algorithm is introduced to cope with the expansion of network scales. Experimental results show that SJM can improve the accuracy by 20%-50%. The further introduction of SAR can prolong network lifetime by 12%-35%.