A Flow-Weighted Scale-Free Topology for Wireless Sensor Networks

In this paper, complex network theory is used to generate robust scale-free topology for wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Nodes in WSNs consume energy in two stages: network generation and network operation. Existing scale-free models for WSNs focus on the energy in the first stage. However, sensors consume most energy in the second stage. This paper proposes a method called flow-aware scale-free (FASF) model to balance the energy consumption of sensors in the second stage. Taking into account the traffic flow in the network, a WSN is modeled as a weighted network and its energy usage is balanced. Both analysis and simulations indicate that FASF enhances connectivity and network lifetime, achieves high robustness against node failures, and at the same time maintains the scale-invariant property.