A Maximum-Votes and Load-balance Clustering Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks

摘要

A large number of small sensors in wireless sensor network are battery-powered; one of the most important design criteria for this type of network is energy efficiency. Clustering provides an effective way for extending the lifetime of a sensor network. In this paper, we propose a maximum-Votes and Load-balance Clustering Algorithm (VLCA) for wireless sensor network. Each sensor collects votes from their neighbors and calculates the total vote received. The more votes a sensor accumulates, the more important it is in the whole network. During the clustering phase, sensors compete with each other based on the total votes each has received. The algorithm is completely distributed, locating-unaware and independent of network size and topology. Simulation results show that our VLCA can reduce the number of clusters by 20-50% and prolong the lifetime of a sensor network.