SCHS: Smart Cluster Head Selection Scheme for Clustering Algorithms in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

Wireless sensor networks are energy constraint networks. Energy efficiency, to prolong the network for a longer time is critical issue for wireless sensor network protocols. Clustering protocols are energy efficient approaches to extend the lifetime of network. Intra-cluster communication is the main driving factor for energy efficiency of clustering protocols. Intra-cluster energy consumption depends upon the position of cluster head in the cluster. Wrongly positioned clusters head make cluster more energy consuming. In this paper, a simple and efficient cluster head selection scheme is proposed, named Smart Cluster Head Selection (SCHS). It can be implemented with any distributed clustering approach. In SCHS, the area is divided into two parts: border area and inner area. Only inner area nodes are eligible for cluster head role. SCHS reduces the intra-cluster communication distance hence improves the energy efficiency of cluster. The simulation results show that SCHS has significant improvement over LEACH in terms of lifetime of network and data units gathered at base station.