Energy-Efficient Clustering Scheme for Flying Ad-Hoc Networks Using an Optimized LEACH Protocol

TLDR

Flying ad‑hoc networks consist of battery‑powered sensor nodes with limited processing and storage, whose primary role is to collect and transmit data to a base station, making network lifetime the key design criterion. The study aims to develop an energy‑efficient clustering algorithm that improves the LEACH protocol for data collection and transmission in flying ad‑hoc networks. The algorithm selects cluster heads using an optimized threshold function within the LEACH framework. Experimental results on MATLAB show that the proposed algorithm reduces energy consumption, extends network lifetime, improves packet delivery ratio, and delays first node death compared to LEACH, LEACH‑C, and CL‑LEACH.

Abstract

A Flying Ad-hoc network constitutes many sensor nodes with limited processing speed and storage capacity as they institute a minor battery-driven device with a limited quantity of energy. One of the primary roles of the sensor node is to store and transmit the collected information to the base station (BS). Thus, the life span of the network is the main criterion for the efficient design of the FANETS Network, as sensor nodes always have limited resources. In this paper, we present a methodology of an energy-efficient clustering algorithm for collecting and transmitting data based on the Optimized Low-Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH) protocol. The selection of CH is grounded on the new optimized threshold function. In contrast, LEACH is a hierarchical routing protocol that randomly selects cluster head nodes in a loop and results in an increased cluster headcount, but also causes more rapid power consumption. Thus, we have to circumvent these limitations by improving the LEACH Protocol. Our proposed algorithm diminishes the energy usage for data transmission in the routing protocol, and the network’s lifetime is enhanced as it also maximizes the residual energy of nodes. The experimental results performed on MATLAB yield better performance than the existing LEACH and Centralized Low-Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy Protocol in terms of energy efficiency per unit node and the packet delivery ratio with less energy utilization. In addition, the First Node Death (FND) is also meliorated when compared to the LEACH and LEACH-C protocols.