A study of subdividing hexagon-clustered WSN for power saving: Analysis and simulation

Hexagons are an ideal shape for clustering sensor networks, for it can seamlessly divide clustered areas, and is the largest regular polygon (in terms of the number of sides) that has this property. In this paper, we analyze the benefit of subdividing a hexagonal cluster for the purpose of reducing the overall power consumption in the cluster. Assuming a spatial Poisson distribution of sensor nodes in the cluster, we propose a subdivision scheme, and perform a comprehensive analytical estimate of power savings brought about by the subdivision. The analytical results show that subdivision will yield considerable saving in overall power consumption of the cluster, and the saving is heavily dependent on the nodes' transmission range and their deployment density. The limit on the depth of subdivision is also analyzed. Simulation results are presented, and their implication discussed. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.