Energy-Efficient Relay Selection and Power Allocation Optimization for Lifetime Maximization in Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks

Underwater acoustic sensor networks (UASNs) play a crucial role in marine data collection. However, due to harsh underwater channel conditions and the finite energy supply of sensor nodes, underwater data transmission faces difficulties such as low reliability, limited spectrum, and constrained energy resources. How to ensure the performance of UASNs, such as network lifetime and energy efficiency (EE), under limited resources is a critical problem that needs to be addressed. To tackle these challenges, a matching game-based approach for relay selection and power allocation is proposed in this paper. Specifically, we model the network lifetime maximization (NLM) problem under resource constraints as a matching game problem, and develop an iterative matching algorithm based on NLM to ensure stable outcomes for relay selection and power allocation. Additionally, we devise a power allocation algorithm focused on energy efficiency to enhance system EE while guaranteeing NLM. The simulation results show that the proposed strategy greatly surpasses other benchmark algorithms in extending network lifetime and optimizing EE, validating its effectiveness and practicality.