Lifetime Analysis of Energy Harvesting Underwater Wireless Sensor Nodes

Abstract

The application of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) in underwater environments poses various challenges. One of the most important problems is the limited lifetime of underwater sensor nodes. Considering how challenging and costly it is to change the batteries of sensor nodes in underwater environments, energy harvesting methods arc rendered as a promising solution. In this study, the contributions of energy harvesting via turbine and hydrophone harvesters as well as schedule and trigger driven energy management methods on node lifetime have been analyzed. Performance evaluations have been conducted considering real-life conditions, e.g. flow rates, of Istanbul Bosphorus Strait.