Energy Conservation Issues and Challenges in MANETs

Abstract

Energy efficiency is a major issue of concern in wireless ad hoc networks as mobile nodes rely on batteries, which are limited sources of energy, and, in many environments, it is quite a cumbersome task to replace or recharge them. Despite the progress made in battery technology, the lifetime of battery powered devices continues to be a key challenge, requiring additional research on efficient design of platforms, protocols, and systems. Many tangible efforts are made by many researchers to reduce the power consumption at protocol level by designing an energy efficient protocol to prolong the lifetime of the networks. The main focus of this chapter is to present a comprehensive analysis of energy efficient techniques in wireless ad hoc networks, integrating various issues and challenges to provide a big picture in this area. This chapter addresses energy management techniques in wireless ad hoc networks, especially in decentralized ad hoc environments.