Fluid models for large-scale wireless sensor networks

We develop an analytical framework for the study of large-scale, wireless sensor networks. We use a fluid approach, i.e., we represent the sensor network by a continuous fluid entity distributed on the network area. We assume that sensors employ a CSMA/CA mechanism to access the channel and a minimum energy consumption criterion to select traffic routes, and accurately model these aspects. Furthermore, the framework accounts for energy consumption and is able to model the active/sleep dynamics of the nodes. We validate our approach through simulation and show that the proposed framework is well suited for describing the properties of large sensor networks and understanding their complex behavior. To the best of our knowledge, our framework is one of few analytical models developed for large-scale sensor networks which can accurately capture the main aspects of these systems. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.