Reliable Routing Algorithm Based on Clustering and Mobile Sink in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

Given the limited battery energy of the sensor networks, energy efficiency is regarded as one of the most crucial issues for WSNs. In WSNs with a fixed sink, since the nodes near the sink share multi-hop routes and data and integrated towards the sink, these nodes are more likely to deplete their battery energy than other nodes of the network. Nodes’ shutdown leads to topology failure and the reduction of the sensing coverage which interrupts sensors’ data reporting tasks. In this paper, mobile sink was suggested for dealing with this problem so that load balance and uniform energy consumption can be achieved throughout the network. The proposed method, referred to as distributed clustering reliable routing protocol, operates in the distributed form and is able to minimize the reported delay. Simulation results and the comparison of the proposed protocol with NODIC protocol indicated that the proposed protocol performs better and has higher failure tolerance especially in terms of sensor nodes’ failure.