Energy Optimization for Deterministic Cluster Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks

We investigate the optimization of the number of clusters for load-balanced deterministic cluster routing schemes in wireless sensor networks. Taking the advancement of technologies into account, we assume sensor networks with high-frequency transmission signals and low-power consumption circuitry. By analyzing the operations of cluster head nodes and non-cluster head nodes in each round, we calculate energy consumption as a function of the size of sensor field, the number of nodes, circuit energy consumption, and transmission power factors. The energy consumption function leads us to determine the optimum number of clusters in a deterministic cluster routing algorithm, which prolongs the network lifespan with a minimum level of energy consumption. Given the optimum number of clusters, we also investigate the effect of cluster formations on energy optimization by relating the formation to the problem of densest packing of congruent circles in a circle. Our optimization method is verified by computer simulations.