Node Failure Time and Coverage Loss Time Analysis for Maximum Stability Vs Minimum Distance Spanning Tree based Data Gathering in Mobile Sensor Networks

A mobile sensor network is a wireless network of sensor nodes that move arbitrarily. In this paper, we explore the use of a maximum stability spanning tree-based data gathering (Max.Stability-DG) algorithm and a minimum-distance spanning tree-based data gathering (MST-DG) algorithm for mobile sensor networks. We analyze the impact of these two algorithms on the node failure times and the resulting coverage loss due to node failures. Both the Max.Stability-DG and MST-DG algorithms are based on a greedy strategy of determining a data gathering tree when one is needed and using that tree as long as it exists. The Max.Stability-DG algorithm assumes the availability of the complete knowledge of future topology changes and determines a data gathering tree whose corresponding spanning tree would exist for the longest time since the current time instant; whereas, the MST-DG algorithm determines a data gathering tree whose corresponding spanning tree is the minimum distance tree at the current time instant. We observe the Max.Stability-DG trees to incur a longer network lifetime (time of disconnection of the network of live sensor nodes due to node failures), a larger coverage loss time for a particular fraction of loss of coverage as well as a lower fraction of coverage loss at any time. The tradeoff is that the Max.Stability-DG trees incur a lower node lifetime (the time of first node failure) due to repeated use of a data gathering tree for a longer time.