Performance analysis of cluster head selection routing protocol in underwater acoustic wireless sensor network

Abstract

Underwater communication has become a popular research area because of many applications such as oceanography data collection, ocean exploration, undersea navigation, and control of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Since electromagnetic wave communication does not propagate well in underwater, long communication ranges are only possible through the use of acoustic waves. Acoustic communication is the most versatile and widely used technique in underwater environments due to the low attenuation (signal reduction) of sound in water. Underwater acoustic communication is a technique of sending and receiving message below water. The implementation of underwater acoustic communication (UWAC) system is rendered challenging by factors such as limited available bandwidth, throughput, long propagation delay, large Doppler spread, and time-varying channel conditions. From this limitation in underwater wireless networks, throughput is one of the main parameter will be affected. Based on network structure, routing protocols in Underwater Communication Networks can be divided into two categories: flat routing and hierarchical or clustering routing. Due to a variety of advantages, clustering is suitable an active branch of routing technology in underwater communication Networks. Based on these findings, to developing cluster based routing protocol is designed to improve the throughput of the network by considering connectivity and coverage.