Resource allocation for relay-aided underwater acoustic sensor networks with energy harvesting

Abstract

Underwater acoustic sensor networks play a significant role in ocean observation, pollution monitoring and underwater remote control. Different from conventional sensor networks, transmission efficiency and lifetime for nodes in underwater acoustic sensor networks is vital since it is difficult to change batteries of buoy relays and underwater sensors. In this paper, two resource allocation algorithms for energy harvesting time and transmit power allocation in underwater acoustic sensor networks with single and multiple wireless energy harvesting buoy nodes are proposed to maximize the sum rate and energy efficiency. Both of the circuit power consumption and transmission power consumption are considered as the power consumption of the system. We first propose an optimal algorithm to allocate the time of energy harvesting slot for sum rate maximization. From the derivation, we show that the sum rate of the network grows as the transmission power increases. However, when the transmission power is extremely large, the energy efficiency of the network starts to decrease. Thus a joint algorithm with energy harvesting time and transmit power allocation is further provided for energy efficiency maximization. Simulation results validate the sum rate improvement under our proposed sum rate maximization algorithm and energy efficiency improvement under the proposed energy efficiency maximization algorithm.