A Heuristic Distributed Clustering Protocol for Maximizing Wireless Sensor Network Lifespan

International Journal of Computer Science and Technology Vol. 2, No. 5, May 2000 | pp. 33–40

DOI: 10.46882/2000/IJCST/000017

Research Article

Title: A Heuristic Distributed Clustering Protocol for Maximizing Wireless Sensor Network Lifespan

Names of Authors: Hans-Dieter Schmidt¹, Li Wei-Dong²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Institute of Network Computing, University of Stuttgart, Germany; ²Department of Electronic Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan.

Abstract:
Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) deployed in extreme environments require autonomous communication architectures that optimize power usage across thousands of battery-dependent micro-sensors. Centralized base-station data collection drains the energy reservoirs of near-station nodes quickly, breaking down network connectivity prematurely. This paper presents an optimized, decentralized clustering protocol, Heuristic Energy-Balanced Clustering (HEBC), that organizes sensor points into distinct operational groups dynamically. The algorithm selects local cluster heads by computing a relative cost vector balancing residual node battery level, proximity to neighbors, and geometric distance from the primary transmission sink. We evaluated our routing protocol across a simulated network monitoring 1,000 spatial sensor nodes under variable transmission stress. The empirical metrics demonstrate that HEBC extends the total network operational lifespan by 34.2% and enhances cumulative data packet transmission volume by 21.8% compared to traditional LEACH and threshold-optimized protocols. The energy consumption variance across the deployment field dropped significantly, proving that HEBC successfully spreads the computational and routing loads uniformly across the sensor fabric.

Keywords: Wireless Sensor Networks, Clustering Protocols, Energy Efficiency, Network Lifespan, Distributed Routing, Load Balancing.

Manuscript Timeline: Received: February 14, 2000; Revised: March 22, 2000; Accepted: April 12, 2000; Published: May 26, 2000.

Citation: Schmidt, H. D., & Wei-Dong, L. (2000). A Heuristic Distributed Clustering Protocol for Maximizing Wireless Sensor Network Lifespan. International Journal of Computer Science and Technology, 2(5), 33–40.

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