Energy-Efficient Routing Protocols for Wireless Sensor Networks in Industrial Applications

Abstract

Industrial wireless sensor networks (IWSNs) support condition monitoring, process automation and safety systems, but battery-powered sensor nodes must operate for long periods in environments affected by interference, obstacles and time-critical traffic. This methodology paper develops a comparative framework for evaluating energy-efficient routing protocols for industrial wireless sensor networks. Four representative protocols are considered: Low-Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH), Power-Efficient Gathering in Sensor Information Systems (PEGASIS), Hybrid Energy-Efficient Distributed clustering (HEED), and Energy Aware Routing for real-time and reliable communication (EARQ). The methodology combines a first-order radio-energy model, a 100-node industrial monitoring topology, IEEE 802.15.4-class packet assumptions, variable traffic load and link-reliability conditions. Performance is assessed through first-node-death lifetime, residual energy, packet delivery ratio, end-to-end delay and routing overhead. Representative simulation outcomes show that cluster- and chain-based protocols reduce energy expenditure, while industrial-aware routing provides a better balance between energy consumption, reliability and latency. Under the defined scenario, EARQ achieves the highest composite industrial suitability because it selects paths using energy, delay and reliability rather than energy alone. The study therefore demonstrates that routing design for industrial applications should treat energy efficiency as a multi-objective requirement jointly constrained by real-time delivery and communication robustness.