Energy Efficient Clustering Scheme Using Backup Nodes in WSNs

Clustering is a technique in wireless sensor networks which is used to maintain energy of the nodes efficiently so that the lifetime of network can be prolonged. In many clustering algorithms, election of a cluster head is done dynamically based on its residual energy and distance from base station. Whenever the cluster head energy reaches a threshold, it is to be replaced by a new cluster head. The overhead involved in electing a new cluster head degrades the performance of the network, in terms of delay involved and energy consumed. To reduce this overhead we propose an algorithm, in which some nodes are selected as backup nodes based on their energy during the network deployment phase. Backup node replaces the cluster head when its energy reaches a threshold. We also ensure that the cluster head is not replaced by a malicious node.