Energy consumption analysis of underwater acoustic sensor networks

Energy-efficiency in underwater networks is essential since nodes are mostly battery powered and it is difficult to replenish their supply. Furthermore, since underwater acoustic sensor networks are effected by ambient environmental conditions leading to volatile network dynamics, large propagation delays and a high probability of error in transmissions, it is even more important to analyze the energy consumption characteristics in order to build an energy efficient robust network. Since the underwater acoustic channel behaves differently in deep water and shallow water it is important to understand the energy consumption characteristics of both channels. In this paper we present an overview of a study conducted to analyze the energy consumption in underwater acoustic sensor networks. The energy consumption for different transmission mechanisms (single-hop, multi-hop, etc.) are analyzed not only in deep and shallow water channels but the effect of varying ambient conditions are also presented.