Analysis of the impact of radio propagation models on wireless sensor network lifetime

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are to be operated on the aimed performance if and only if they are designed according to realistic path loss models for the links between sensor nodes. Most of the researches on WSNs uses simple path loss models that cause wrong results and designed WSN to operate at lower performance than the desired one. Realistic path loss modeling is critical for WSN design and analysis. Therefore basic propagation mechanisms, wireless communication models and models that are especially proposed for WSNs are examined. WSN specific path loss models are numerically analyzed and compared. For the researchers on WSN area, selection criterion for path loss modeling is presented. Also these WSN specific path loss models are used in lifetime maximization framework based on mixed integer programming. Impact of path loss modeling is analyzed for network lifetime. Furthermore, errors caused by wrong path loss model usage is evaluated. Moreover, a joint optimization scheme including transmission power control and packet size optimization for lifetime maximization in smart grid WSN applications is proposed. Effect of packet size in network lifetime is investigated.