A Loose-Virtual-Clustering-Based Routing for Power Heterogeneous MANETs

Power heterogeneity is common in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). With high-power nodes, MANETs can improve network scalability, connectivity, and broadcasting robustness. However, the throughput of power heterogeneous MANETs can be severely impacted by high-power nodes. To address this issue, we present a loose-virtual-clustering-based (LVC) routing protocol for power heterogeneous (LRPH) MANETs. To explore the advantages of high-power nodes, we develop an LVC algorithm to construct a hierarchical network and to eliminate unidirectional links. To reduce the interference raised by high-power nodes, we develop routing algorithms to avoid packet forwarding via high-power nodes. Via the combination of analytical modeling, simulations, and real-world experiments, we demonstrate the effectiveness of LRPH on improving the performance of power heterogeneous MANETs.