A cluster-based routing protocol for wireless sensor networks with adjustable cluster size

A cluster-based routing scheme for wireless sensor networks featuring adjustable cluster size is proposed in this article. Aimed at the reduction of power consumption, the proposed scheme is designed to adjust cluster sizes on the fly such that communication loads can be evenly shared by individual nodes, and consequently extend the lifetime of an entire sensor network. In the proposed scheme, named ACRP, sensor nodes form clusters automatically. Cluster heads assign time slots to sensor nodes for data transmission. Cluster heads then aggregate received data and forward them to the base station along established routing paths. In particular, based on received cluster information, the base station periodically adjusts the cluster membership of sensor nodes such that each clusters have comparable size, and pick up new head with most residual energy for each cluster. By doing so, the communication load can be shared by participant nodes and the data transmission schedules for each cluster will have similar duration. Both contribute to faster data transmission and extended lifetime for wireless sensor networks. Simulation result reveals that the proposed scheme is effective and outperforms the well-known LEACH in most scenarios.