Energy efficient clustering algorithm for maximizing lifetime of wireless sensor networks

The sensor nodes deployed in wireless sensor networks are extremely power constrained, so maximizing the lifetime of the entire networks is mainly considered in the design. An energy efficient clustering algorithm with optimum parameters is designed for reducing the energy consumption and prolonging the system lifetime. An analytical clustering model with one-hop distance and clustering angle is given. The optimum one-hop distance and clustering angle are formulated by minimizing the energy consumption between inter-cluster and intra-cluster. Furthermore, the continuous working mechanism of each cluster head which acts as the local control center and will not be replaced by the candidate cluster head until its continuous working times reach the optimum values is given, and the optimum continuous working times of each cluster head can be obtained through the optimum one-hop distance and the clustering angle. With the mechanism, the frequency of updating cluster head and the energy consumption for establishing new cluster head can be reduced. The simulation results demonstrate that the clustering algorithm can effectively reduce the energy consumption and increase the system lifetime. (C) 2009 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.