Energy-Aware Routing Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks with Optimal Relay Detecting

Efficient and reliable routing plays a key role in wireless sensor networks in which routing design with regard to network availability and node lifetime needs to be deliberately considered. When multi-hop relay transmission is frequently applied to reduce a source node’s energy consumption and improve network capacity, a key issue affecting the nodes’ participation in the transmission is the problem of suitably determining the next hop in order to prolong each node’s lifetime and to maintain the energy-balancing of the whole network. In this study, we propose an energy-aware routing scheme by taking the Cauchy operator, node’s residual energy and routing distance into account. Based on Cauchy inequation, we achieve a relationship between the routing distance and the energy usage in the routing. By fixing a relay selection parameter and then identifying the next hop appropriately, we obtain a balancing energy-aware routing algorithm. Numerical results are provided to verify the lifetime and equilibrium of the energy distribution by comparing with them with those of a traditional approach.