A reliable optimized clustering in MANET using Ant Colony algorithm

The mobile ad hoc networks is an attractive field to the researchers for its ease in deployment and maintenance. In this work, we focus on the optimization of energy consumption and stability of the node which has become a critical issue in ad hoc networks. Clustering of nodes is one of the significant means to extend lifetime of the network. This paper proposes Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) approach for the optimal selection of cluster heads. This algorithm optimizes communication workload, node lifetime, and mobility. The cluster structure is optimized by the defined probability function for clusters. The probability function is calculated by using the parameters such as residual energy, energy drain rate and mobility factor. Node that has the maximum value for the probability function will select as a cluster head. The overall communication workload is calculated periodically. If its value is high, then cluster head is reassigned. The advantage of this algorithm is that it can better balance the energy consumption of the nodes and increase the stability of the node. Experiment results show that our proposed work results in more energy efficient and stabilized clusters.