Understanding Relative Network Delay inMicro-Energy Harvesting Wireless Networks

Abstract

Micro-energy harvesting wireless network (MEHWN) enables a perpetual network deployment that cannot be achieved in traditional battery-operated counterparts. Despite its sustainability, end-to-end delay in an MEHWN could be very large, due to the large waiting delay on each hop in the network. In this work, we consider an MEHWN where every node constantly switches between on and off states, due to the limited amount of harvested energy. The network delay of an MEHWN is not well understood because of the energy uncertainty, asynchronized working schedules, and complex network topology in an MEHWN. To close this research gap, we define the relative network delay as the ratio between end-to-end delay and distance. Compared to previous works, we are able to identify a closed-form expression of the lower bound and a tighter upper bound of the relative network delay. The theoretical findings are verified in simulations. Our theoretical analysis deepens the understanding about the interplay of network delay, energy harvesting rate, and node density in an MEHWN.