TEZEM: A new energy-efficient routing protocol for next-generation wireless sensor networks

The design and implementation of energy-efficient routing protocols for next-generation wireless sensor networks is always a challenge due to limited power resource capabilities. Hierarchical (clustering) routing protocols appeared to be a remarkable solution for extending the lifetime of wireless sensor networks, particularly in application-aware (threshold-sensitive) and heterogeneity-aware cluster-based routing protocols. In this article, we propose a protocol, namely, Threshold-based Energy-aware Zonal Efficiency Measuring hierarchical routing protocol. It is a heterogeneity-aware and threshold-based protocol that provides a better solution to existing problems in next-generation wireless sensor networks. During execution, the Threshold-based Energy-aware Zonal Efficiency Measuring hierarchical routing protocol splits the entire network area into several zones to manage network traffic efficiently. In the first step, Threshold-based Energy-aware Zonal Efficiency Measuring hierarchical routing protocol is designed for a homogeneous network where the initial energy of all the nodes is the same. Thereafter, we bring in heterogeneity in the Threshold-based Energy-aware Zonal Efficiency Measuring hierarchical routing protocol execution environment to optimize its energy consumption. By investigating the performance of the various numbers of divisions, it is proved that the Threshold-based Energy-aware Zonal Efficiency Measuring hierarchical routing protocol with 9 zonal divisions has higher stability and throughput. The performance of the proposed Threshold-based Energy-aware Zonal Efficiency Measuring hierarchical routing protocol is compared with those of Stable Election Protocol, Low-Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy, Modified Low-Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy, and Gateway-Based Energy-Efficient Routing Protocol through computer simulations. Simulation results verify the improved performance of the proposed Threshold-based Energy-aware Zonal Efficiency Measuring hierarchical routing protocol in terms of network stability, lifetime, and throughput.