Clustering Techniques for Network lifetime Improvement: A Survey

This paper focuses on the theoretical aspects of clustering techniques in wireless sensor networks, as a mean to improve network lifetime and time synchronization between sensors. Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are large-scale networks of small low-cost and low-power sensors, to observe and monitor various aspects of physical world. In WSN, data from each sensor is ag-glomerated using data fusion to form a single meaningful result, which makes time synchronization between sensors highly desirable. In this paper, some of the clustering protocols, which have been implemented to improve the network lifetime and clock synchronization, are illustrated. It has been investigated that employing these protocols to select the cluster head results in better performance as compared to non-clustered network and summarize existing clock synchronization protocols based on a palette of factors like precision, accuracy, cost, and complexity.