Energy-balanced and fault-tolerant clustering routing protocol for event driven WSNs

In recent years, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are increasingly developed in various areas of applications. The most important feature of WSN is that the sensor nodes are small size, limited processing and low power. Recent research has been focused on developing routing protocol for WSNs with thorough design addressing these features such as simplicity, energy efficiency and energy balance. Those approaches include various hierarchical clustering routing protocols such as LEACH, TEEN, PEGASIS, HEED and their variants. Our research investigates a novel routing protocol in a confined, less solved area of hierarchical clustering routing protocols: hierarchical clustering routing driven by events. We propose a cluster forming algorithm involving multiple rotational cluster heads (CHs) with different number of turns acting as the cluster head. We then investigate a routing mechanism for these multiple CHs to send data to the base station (BS) using common optimal route. Furthermore, in order to increase fault tolerance of WSNs, in our routing protocol, a sensor node needs satisfying required energy to become or remain as a CH. Simulation results in Omnet++ show that our protocol is better improved in energy efficiency, network lifetime, and overall network energy balance than existing protocols of the same type: OEDSR, ARPEES and HPEQ.