Energy-Efficient Multihop Routing to Extend Network Lifetime for Cluster-Based WSN through Improved LEACH

Abstract

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) find application in environmental monitoring, industrial automation, health care, and the Internet of Things. However, energy restrictions of nodes and faulty routing mechanisms affect network lifetime and communication. To address these issues, this paper presents an Energy-Efficient Cluster-Based Multi-Hop Routing (E2CMR) protocol, an enhanced version of the LEACH routing protocol. The framework suggests RSSI-based methods for node layering, adaptive selection of cluster heads, and energy-aware multi-hop routing to balance energy consumption. Using residual energy, initial energy, and average network energy, an enhanced threshold function is developed to select an optimal cluster head for efficient rotation. Moreover, energy-aware route establishment reduces transmission distance and communication overhead, thereby enhancing packet delivery performance. The proposed protocol was validated in an NS-2 simulation using 100 similar sensor nodes. The following protocols were compared with ECI-LEACH, ESCH, and the ICSI routing protocol. The experimental results show that E2CMR achieves a maximum throughput of 370 kbps, delaying the first node's death to the 30th round. In the 50th round, it maintains 26% residual energy, routing overhead reduces to 26, and network lifetime improves by 38%. The results indicate that E2CMR improves energy efficiency, network stability, and routing performance and is applicable for large-scale energy-constrained WSNs.