Cluster-Based Routing Approach in Hierarchical Wireless Sensor Networks toward Energy Efficiency using Genetic Algorithm

Abstract

Energy efficiency is one of the important factors when exploiting Wireless Sensor Networks, especially for increasing lifespan and performance. In the network nowadays, the number of sensor nodes can reach hundreds or thousands and can be arranged in complex hierarchical architecture. Besides, the current sensor nodes have a small size, limited battery source but are operated in vast areas. The clustered-based method has been an effective and potentially extensible means of boosting the management and operation of such large-scale networks and minimizing the overall energy consumption. In this paper, the issue of arranging and routing the nodes in the sensor network in a hierarchical manner is investigated, in which each lowest level sensor nodes are grouped in a cluster with a common cluster head, then the cluster-head plays an intermediate role transmit the information back and forth between the sensor nodes and the base station. In this way, the route to exchange information can not only be optimized with respect to the distance but also for energy spent on the communication. In order to do so, this paper proposed a novel method based on a Genetic Algorithm to establish a routing protocol to achieve energy optimization. The results demonstrate that this approach can decrease the energy consumption according to the optimized routing through clustering and increase the performance superior to the other clustering schemes.