Cluster restructuring scheme for wireless sensor networks

Limited by application and node structure, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) call for energy effective algorithms. Therefore, a cluster restructuring scheme (CRS) applicable to most cluster based hierarchical network architectures is presented. Using this scheme, no position information of any sensor node is needed. According to the received signal intensity, each cluster member selects a data relay node within the cluster to set up an energy-saving data relay link. Depending on the delay constraints, each cluster member forwards data either to the cluster head or to the data relay node automatically. Forwarding data through the data relay links not only decreases the transmission energy, but reduces link interferences and energy consumption for data receiving of some neighbor nodes. Simulation results show that, in a round of data transmission, the CRS reduces the average energy consumption of the cluster heads by up to 90% and of the cluster members by up to 97% in a cluster of 30 nodes.