Charging Protocol for Partially Rechargeable Mobile Sensor Networks

• Published in: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 23; no. 7; p. 3438
• Main Author: Hung, Li-Ling
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 24.03.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Algorithms; Antennas; Data transmission; Design; Electric power transmission; Energy consumption; Energy efficiency; energy harvesting; Energy resources; energy transmission; network lifetime; partial rechargeable mobile sensor network; Power; Propagation; Receivers & amplifiers; rechargeable sensor; Researchers; Sensors; Wireless sensor networks; energy harvesting; energy transmission; partial rechargeable mobile sensor network; network lifetime; rechargeable sensor
• ISSN: 1424-8220; 1424-8220
• DOI: 10.3390/s23073438

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have wide applicability in services used in daily life. However, for such networks, limited energy is a critical issue. The efficiency of a deployed sensor network may be subject to energy supply. Wireless rechargeable sensor networks have recently been proposed and discussed. Most related studies have involved applying static rechargeable sensors to an entire rechargeable environment or having mobile chargers patrol the environment to charge sensors within it. For partially rechargeable environments, improving the recharge efficiency and extending the lifetime of WSNs are considerable challenges. Scientists have devoted attention to energy transmission technologies and mobile sensor network (MSN) applications. In this paper, we propose a flexible charging protocol in which energy can be transmitted from certain energy supply regions to other regions in an MSN. Mobile rechargeable sensors are deployed to monitor the environment. To share energy in a certain region, the sensors move to replenish their energy and transmit energy to sensors outside the energy supply region. The efficiency of the proposed protocol is also discussed in the context of various situations. The evaluation results suggest that the flexible protocol is more efficient than other charging protocols in several situations.