CAPNet: An Enhanced Load Balancing Clustering Algorithm for Prolonging Network Lifetime in WSNs

A wireless sensor network consisting of resources, size, and cost-limited sensors is used in many military and civil applications. This paper proposes an energy-efficient clustering algorithm that extends the lifetime of sensor networks. The proposed clustering algorithm is an extended hierarchical clustering protocol that minimizes the overall amount of consumed energy in the network. The proposed approach dynamically updates clusters and distributes the load on the heavily loaded cluster heads among different nodes. It also balances the remaining energy on nodes in the network, which leads to prolonged network lifetime. The performance is evaluated in terms of network lifetime, average energy consumption, and standard deviation of residual energy.