Design and Implementation of an Energy-Efficient Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

International Journal of Computer Science and Technology | Vol. 9, No. 7, July 2007 | pp. 49–56

DOI: 10.46882/2007/IJCST/097004

Research Article

Title: Design and Implementation of an Energy-Efficient Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

Names of Authors: Ahmad M. Al-Zahrani¹, Tariq O. Faisal¹

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Computer Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract: Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are heavily constrained by the finite battery capacities of their distributed sensor nodes, making energy-efficient communication routing protocol design paramount. This paper details the design and deployment of the Cluster-Based Energy-Aware Routing (CBEAR) protocol, aimed at maximizing network operational lifetimes. CBEAR introduces an innovative cluster head selection algorithm that factorially weights residual energy metrics, node proximity to the base station, and local node density. This formulation balances power consumption evenly across the entire network topology, avoiding early node death patterns. Experimental simulations using NS-2 software revealed that CBEAR extended the total network operational lifetime by 26.3% compared to the standard Low-Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH) protocol. The network retained 90% of active nodes over an extended run of 2500 rounds, maintaining a stable packet delivery ratio of 97.4% ± 0.8%. Average power consumption per node per round was significantly minimized to 0.012 Joules, demonstrating an efficient mechanism for long-term environmental monitoring applications.

Keywords: Wireless sensor networks, routing protocols, energy efficiency, cluster head selection, network lifetime, NS-2 simulation

Manuscript Timeline: Received April 10, 2007; Revised May 22, 2007; Accepted June 18, 2007; Published July 10, 2007

Citation: Al-Zahrani, A. M., & Faisal, T. O. (2007). Design and Implementation of an Energy-Efficient Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks. International Journal of Computer Science and Technology, 9(7), 49–56.

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