Reduction of energy consumption in wireless sensor networks based on predictable routes for multi-mobile sink

Abstract

According to recent studies, we can benefit from mobile sinks and hierarchical algorithms to improve energy efficiency and load efficiency in wireless sensor networks. To improve energy conservation and to increase load balancing, we proposed a cluster-based routing algorithm based on several predictable movement paths for mobile sinks. The basic idea of the proposed scheme is to prolong the network longevity and to reduce the average distance between cluster heads and mobile sinks in the data transmission process. To this end, and inspiring by the hexagonal shape of beehives, we let the network area to be a hexagonal shape in which sensor nodes are distributed randomly. This hexagon is composed of three rhombuses, where each rhombus is considered as a cluster. The mobile sinks are forced to move along an internal triangle formed by connecting the large diagonals of these three rhombuses. Since the sinks move along a pre-determined path and accurately covers the area of all clusters, this movement strategy eliminates the problem of sink off cluster heads, seen in a previous similar approach. In addition, we provide the ability for the sensing nodes to send the data to the closet sinks based on different movement paths and with minimal energy consumption. Therefore, the distance between the cluster heads and mobile sinks is reduced, which in turn leads to reduced energy consumption among the sensing nodes and increases load balancing. According to the simulation results, the proposed scheme has better performance in terms of the number of active nodes, the total energy consumption, the average of residual energy, and the network lifetime compared to previous movement strategies.