FTEP: A fault tolerant election protocol for multi-level clustering in homogeneous wireless sensor networks

A wireless sensor network has potential to monitor stimulus around it. Sensor networks have severe energy constraints, low data rate with high redundancy, and many-to-one flows. Thus, data centric mechanisms that perform in-network aggregation of data are needed. Clustering is one of the data centric mechanisms in which various cluster heads perform in-network aggregation of data. Thus, there is more load on cluster heads than regular nodes. Therefore, for load balancing the role of cluster head should be rotated among other regular nodes. Moreover, cluster heads may fail and disrupt communication. Handling such faulty cluster heads is vital to correct and efficient working of these networks. In this paper, we propose a dynamic and distributed new cluster head election algorithm with fault tolerance capabilities based upon two-level clustering scheme. If energy level of current cluster head falls below a certain limit or any cluster head fails to communicate then election process is started. Based on energy levels, election process appoints a cluster head and a back-up node to handle cluster head failure. Back-up node automatically takes over the role of cluster head once it detects failure of current cluster head. All sensors are homogeneous in nature and working in dual mode. Simulation results show significant energy savings when compared with other clustering scheme like energy efficient multi-level clustering (EEMC).