Energy and density-based stable election routing protocol for wireless IoT network

In battery-based wireless sensor networks (WSN), routing protocols are crucial for enhancing energy efficiency and prolonging network lifetime. These protocols should maximize the discharge times of cluster heads (CH) and sensors for data collection. To maximize the WSN lifetime, the number of clusters, the distance between the base station and the CH, and the remaining battery of sensors should be carefully considered. This study proposes energy and density-based stable election protocol (SEP) for cooperative communication in WSNs to address these challenges. The key contributions of this work are threefold: (1) a novel CH election technique that incorporates both the remaining battery capacity of each sensor and network density; (2) a dynamic mechanism to determining the maximum number of clusters to prevent excessive cluster creation; and (3) an optimized routing approach that enhances energy efficiency. Simulation results conclusively demonstrate that the proposed protocol significantly improves network performance, achieving substantial reductions in total energy consumption and a considerable extension of network lifetime compared to existing protocols. This research advances the state-of-the-art in WSN routing by providing a density-aware and energy-efficient solution that holds significant potential for prolonging the operational lifespan and enhancing the reliability of WSN-based IoT deployments in diverse and challenging environments.