Network lifetime enhanced tri-level clustering and routing protocol for monitoring of offshore wind farms

The reliable operation of offshore located wind farms is utmost important to ensure consistent power supply to grid. However, this depends on turbine-generator availability. The health monitoring of wind system has proven as one of the most efficient methods to improve the availability of turbine-generator set. This has emerged as one of the many possible applications of wireless sensor networks. This study discusses a novel algorithm for routing protocol of sensor data transmission to the base station. The algorithm is based on three-level hierarchy, spatial distribution of sensor nodes and use of the current energy level of the node for clustering and information routing. This protocol utilises the best of all methods and provides better energy-efficiency and a greater network lifetime compared with the low-energy adaptive clustering hierarchy protocol protocol.