article · Electronics
Underwater wireless sensor networks face severe power constraints because of narrow bandwidth, long propagation delays, and batteries that are prohibitively expensive to replace or recharge underwater. Acoustic communication channels consume substantial energy at sensor nodes, making reliable network design difficult. To address this, a routing framework named Member Nodes Supported Cluster-Based Routing Protocol divides the network area into small circular segments. Each circle contains randomly distributed source nodes and a designated cluster head connected to the circle focal point. Member source nodes gather and forward data to their local cluster head. The information is then passed consecutively from one cluster head to the next until all packets reach surface sinks. This cluster-based mechanism aims to maintain consistent transmission speeds, improve data reliability, and conserve critical battery power across mobile underwater networks. The protocol has been evaluated using network simulation software to demonstrate its feasibility.
Monitoring underwater environments requires sensor nodes to operate autonomously for extended periods without manual intervention. Because retrieving submerged batteries for recharging is economically impractical, communication protocols that minimise energy use are essential. Reducing transmission energy allows subsea sensors to deliver dependable data across larger areas for longer operational lifespans, supporting effective monitoring from seabed locations up to surface receivers.
The protocol could be applied in underwater sensor networks requiring long-term deployment, such as marine monitoring and subsea communications. Potential users include developers and operators of submerged sensing systems looking to extend battery life and maintain reliable transmission to surface collection points. Because the system has been tested solely within the QualNet simulation environment, it remains at an early, computer-modelled stage of development and requires real-world physical testing in aquatic environments before operational adoption.
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Considering Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs) have limited power resources (low bandwidth, long propagation delays, and non-rechargeable batteries), it is critical that they develop solutions to reduce power usage. Clustering is one solution because it not only saves energy consumption but also improves scalability and data integrity. The design of UWSNs is vital to the development of clustering algorithms. The limited energy of sensor nodes, narrow transmission bandwidth, and unpredictable topology of mobile Underwater Acoustic Wireless Sensor Networks (UAWSNs) make it challenging to build an effective and dependable underwater communication network. Despite its success in data dependability, the acoustic underwater communication channel consumes the greatest energy at a node. Recharging and replacing a submerged node’s battery could be prohibitively expensive. We propose a network architecture called Member Nodes Supported Cluster-Based Routing Protocol (MNS-CBRP) to achieve consistent information transfer speeds by using the network’s member nodes. As a result, we use clusters, which are produced by dividing the network’s space into many minute circular sections. Following that, a Cluster Head (CH) node is chosen for each circle. Despite the fact that the source nodes are randomly spread, all of the cluster heads are linked to the circle’s focal point. It is the responsibility of the MNS-CBRP source nodes to communicate the discovered information to the CH. The discovered data will then be sent to the CH that follows it, and so on, until all data packets have been transferred to the surface sinks. We tested our techniques thoroughly using QualNet Simulator to determine their viability.
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DOI: 10.3390/electronics12061287
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