Optimizing LEACH clustering algorithm with mobile sink and rendezvous nodes

Wireless sensor networks are composed of a large number of disposable wireless sensors that collect information about their surrounding environment and transmit them to the end user. Because these sensors do not have rechargeable batteries, increasing their lifetime is important and various methods have been proposed to increase the lifetime of the sensor nodes in a network. Most of these methods are based on clustering or routing algorithms. The low energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (LEACH) algorithm is an efficient clustering algorithm where nodes within a cluster send their data to a local cluster head. Some researchers recommend a mobile sink (MS) as a way to reduce energy consumption and a rendezvous node (RN) to act as a store point for the MS. The present study proposes an algorithm that combines the use of the LEACH clustering algorithm, MS and rendezvous points (RP). Simulation results show that this method is more efficient than LEACH in terms of energy consumption, particularly in large regions.