Optimization of Energy usage in Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract Distributed Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) longevity is heavily constrained by finite battery reserves and data transmission overhead. Balancing energy conservation with link reliability under dynamic node mobility remains a challenge. This study presents a Stepwise Transmission Power Control ( PROPOSED_TPC / TPC-ON ) mechanism within a low-overhead, flat network architecture. Operating as a reactive, discrete state machine under a terrestrial Two-Ray Ground propagation model, the algorithm dynamically minimizes data transmission power without complex continuous tracking loops. Extensive NS-3.45 simulations across localized ( $$50{\times }50\text { m}^2$$ ), intermediate ( $$100{\times }100\text { m}^2$$ ), and wide ( $$200{\times }200\text { m}^2$$ ) environments validate that the framework optimizes the energy-reliability trade-off. Initial low-density trials (10–50 nodes) reveal an operational limit in wide fields where link fragmentation drops the Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR) below $$10\%$$ , despite achieving $$80\text { J}$$ of energy savings under the RD2dM mobility model in compact grids. To resolve wide-area network partitioning, an extended benchmark campaign scaling up to 100 nodes was evaluated against FIXED_HIGH, FIXED_MEDIUM, and DISTANCE_BASED baselines. The metrics demonstrate that sufficient topology density completely fixes wide-area fragmentation; the PROPOSED_TPC framework reduces energy consumption by up to $$52.3\%$$ against fixed baselines, stabilizes PDR above $$95\%$$ in dense configurations, and preserves a sustainable $$46.25\%$$ PDR where traditional models collapse below $$10\%$$ . Ultimately, the protocol delivers a low-overhead, $$\mathcal {O}(1)$$ complexity power policy optimized for dense autonomous monitoring arrays.