A Fuzzy Logic Based Cluster Head Election Technique for Energy Consumption Reduction in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

Wireless sensor networks deploy sensor nodes to different areas for data collection. The small size of these sensor nodes allows limited energy storage capacity, and most applications of the networks do not support recharging the batteries once their energy is depleted. Research on energy efficiency in wireless sensor networks is thus an active area that seeks to minimize energy consumption so that the sensor nodes can live longer. Clustering, one of the energy consumption optimization techniques, is employed in this research. It splits the network into smaller groups for data collection and forwards the data to the base station via appointed cluster heads. A fuzzy-based cluster head election strategy is proposed here to improve energy efficiency in wireless sensor networks. The input parameters of the fuzzy inference system are chosen as the residual energy, the node centrality, and the mobility factor. The system generates an output of the chance of a node being selected as a cluster head based on the combination of the values of the given inputs. The simulation results show that the proposed model reduces the network’s overall energy consumption and extends the sensor nodes’ lifetime.