Traffic dynamics on dynamical networks: The connection between network lifetime and traffic congestion

TL;DR

This paper analyzes how traffic congestion impacts the lifetime of dynamical networks like wireless sensor networks, revealing that increased congestion shortens network lifetime and identifying key factors influencing both.

Contribution

It introduces a traffic state-based model to connect network congestion levels with lifetime, considering various network parameters for the first time.

Findings

Higher traffic congestion reduces network lifetime.

Packet generation rate and communication radius significantly affect congestion and lifetime.

Network lifetime is inversely related to traffic congestion levels.

Abstract

For many power-limited networks, such as wireless sensor networks and mobile ad hoc networks, maximizing the network lifetime is the first concern in the related designing and maintaining activities. We study the network lifetime from the perspective of network science. In our dynamic network, nodes are assigned a fixed amount of energy initially and consume the energy in the delivery of packets. We divided the network traffic flow into four states: no, slow, fast, and absolute congestion states. We derive the network lifetime by considering the state of the traffic flow. We find that the network lifetime is generally opposite to traffic congestion in that the more congested traffic, the less network lifetime. We also find the impacts of factors such as packet generation rate, communication radius, node moving speed, etc., on network lifetime and traffic congestion.