Network configuration for optimal utilization efficiency of wireless sensor networks

This paper addresses the problem of configuring wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Specifically, we seek answers to the following questions: how many sensors should be deployed, what is the optimal sensor placement, and which transmission structure should be employed. The design objective is utilization efficiency defined as network lifetime per unit deployment cost. We propose an optimal approach and an approximation approach with reduced complexity to network configuration. Numerical and simulation results demonstrate the near optimal performance of the approximation approach. We also study the impact of sensing range, channel path loss exponent, sensing power consumption, and event arrival rate on the optimal network configuration.