Adaptive Optimization of Multi-Hop Communication Protocol for Linear Wireless Monitoring Networks on High-Speed Railways

The multi-hop communication protocol can balance the energy consumption of sensors to extend the service lifetime in high-speed railways (HSRs). However, the communication via multiple hops will increase the data transmission latency. Most previous studies have focused on optimizing either the sensor network lifetime or the data transmission latency but have not considered both. This paper presents an adaptive multi-objective optimization model for multi-hop communication systems. This model explicitly addresses the trade-off between the lifetime and the latency associated with the use of network-level wireless condition monitoring systems for ensuring the railway operational safety. Numerical examples with various operational scenarios are developed to demonstrate the superiority and practicality of the proposed approach. Compared with the three previously applied protocols, the proposed approach can achieve longer sensor network lifetime, shorter data latency, and greater system utility (accounting for both lifetime and latency). This paper provides the technical support for the development of stable and reliable wireless monitoring management systems for HSR safety.