Dynamic Topology Control for WSNs in Critical Environments

Plant automation and control are mission-critical applications and require timely and reliable data delivery, which is difficult to provide using a wireless technology. This is especially more difficult in industrial environments with harsh radio conditions. In this paper we present a dynamic and distributed topology control algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks for use in performance critical environments. This topology control algorithm assumes a small number of sensor nodes connected to a single sink and communicating using a TDMA-based MAC protocol designed with the application requirements in mind. Our solution was implemented and evaluated in real testbed inside an oil refinery. Evaluation results demonstrating the self-organizing properties of the proposed mechanism, as well as its operational performance are included. The results show that the system reliability is high and that data are delivered on time to the control center.