A dynamic query-tree energy balancing protocol for sensor networks

Static broadcast tree protocols have been proposed in literature to optimize the querying procedure in sensor networks. In this paper we address the issue of how to mitigate the unevenness of energy distribution and its undesirable effects like reduced network lifetime and loss of connectivity in a sensor network that are caused by static broadcast trees. We propose a "dynamic query-tree energy balancing" (DQEB) protocol to dynamically adjust the tree structure and minimize the overall broadcast cost. The proposed algorithm scales well, is distributed and does not need any global information. Locally, the broadcast power consumption is minimized while globally, the broadcast load and power distribution are balanced across the whole sensor network. Our simulation results verify that the DQEB protocol achieves significantly better balance in the battery power distribution and extends the network\´s lifetime considerably.