A Net Present Cost Minimization Framework for Wireless Sensor Networks

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atmire.migration.oldid4719
dc.contributor.advisorMessier, Geoffrey
dc.contributor.advisorMagierowski, Sebastian
dc.contributor.authorDorling, Kevin
dc.contributor.committeememberMessier, Geoffrey
dc.contributor.committeememberMagierowski, Sebastian
dc.contributor.committeememberKarl, Holger
dc.contributor.committeememberGhaderi, Majid
dc.contributor.committeememberSesay, Abu-Bakarr
dc.contributor.committeememberBehjat, Laleh
dc.date.accessioned2016-08-10T21:08:04Z
dc.date.available2016-08-10T21:08:04Z
dc.date.issued2016
dc.date.submitted2016en
dc.description.abstractMinimizing the cost of deploying and operating a wireless sensor network (WSN) involves deciding how to partition a budget between competing expenses such as node hardware, energy, and labour. To determine if funds are given to a specific project or invested elsewhere, companies often use interest rates to sum the project's cash flows in terms of present-day dollars. This provides an incentive to defer expenditures when possible and use the returns to reduce future costs. In this thesis, a framework is proposed for minimizing the net present cost (NPC) of a WSN by optimizing the number of, cost of, and time between expenditures. The proposed framework balances competing expenses and defers expenditures when possible. A similar strategy does not appear to be available in the literature, and has likely not been developed in industry as no commercial WSN operators currently exist. In general, NPC minimization is a non-linear, non-convex optimization problem. However, if the time until the next expenditure is linearly proportional to the cost of the current expenditure, and the number of maintenance cycles is known in advance, the problem becomes convex and can be solved to global optimality. If non-deferrable recurring costs are low, then evenly spacing the expenditures can provide near-optimal results. The NPC minimization framework is most effective when non-deferrable recurring costs, such as labour, are low. High labour costs limit the number of times that a WSN operator can use the returns from investing deferrable costs to decrease future expenditures. This thesis therefore proposes vehicle routing problems (VRPs) to reduce labour costs by delivering nodes with drones. Unlike similar VRPs, drone costs are reduced by reusing vehicles, and low-cost, feasible routes are ensured by modelling energy consumption as a function of drone battery and payload weight. The problems are modelled as mixed integer linear programs (MILPs). As these MILPs are NP-hard, simulated annealing algorithms are proposed for finding sub-optimal solutions to large instances of the problems.en_US
dc.identifier.citationDorling, K. (2016). A Net Present Cost Minimization Framework for Wireless Sensor Networks (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/24855en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/24855
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11023/3179
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisher.facultyGraduate Studies
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Calgaryen
dc.publisher.placeCalgaryen
dc.rightsUniversity of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subjectEngineering--Electronics and Electrical
dc.subject.classificationwireless sensor network (WSN)en_US
dc.subject.classificationbudgeten_US
dc.subject.classificationCosten_US
dc.subject.classificationdeploymenten_US
dc.subject.classificationlifetimeen_US
dc.subject.classificationnet present cost (NPC)en_US
dc.subject.classificationnet present value (NPV)en_US
dc.subject.classificationOptimizationen_US
dc.subject.classificationDeliveryen_US
dc.subject.classificationdroneen_US
dc.subject.classificationheuristicen_US
dc.subject.classificationmixed integer program (MIP)en_US
dc.subject.classificationsimulated annealing (SA)en_US
dc.subject.classificationtravelling salesman problem (TSP)en_US
dc.subject.classificationunmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)en_US
dc.subject.classificationvehicle routing problem (VRP)en_US
dc.titleA Net Present Cost Minimization Framework for Wireless Sensor Networks
dc.typedoctoral thesis
thesis.degree.disciplineElectrical and Computer Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Calgary
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
ucalgary.item.requestcopytrue
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