A Power Allocation Method for Wireless Sensor Networks Based on Data Priority: A Case Study of Scraper Chain Tension Monitoring Network

Using wireless sensor network technology to monitor the tension of scraper conveyor chain can determine whether there are faults such as chain jamming or breakage. However, the scraper chain is in a bad working condition and has mobility, leading to the problems of limited energy and different importance of monitoring data in the uplink and downlink areas of the scraper conveyor tension monitoring network. To this end, we establishe a scraper conveyor chain tension monitoring network model based on data priority (DP). Then, combined with the operation characteristics (OC) of the scraper conveyor, a node transmission power allocation method based on Lyapunov (TPAL) is proposed. The simulation results demonstrate that even when the statistical information of the dynamic system is unknown, the proposed DP-OC-TPAL can not only meet the stability and priority requirements of the network data queue but also minimize the transmission power of the monitoring nodes, achieving a compromise between the queue length, transmission power, and the proportion of high-level data transmission. Compared with the full power allocation (FPA) algorithm, the proposed algorithm improves the transmission ratio of high-level data by 16%.