Failure onset evaluation of Deployable Rolled-Up Composite Synthetic Aperture Radar (DERAC-SAR) Antenna via global/local approach

This work focuses on a global/local simulation technique, based on the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF), developed for failure onset analysis in Deployable Rolled-Up Composite Synthetic Aperture Radar (DERAC-SAR) structures. DERAC-SAR addresses space and weight constraints in satellite systems, featuring a rollable deployment mechanism that induces complex three-dimensional (3D) stress fields near fixed boundaries. Accurately capturing these stress fields typically requires computationally intensive 3D models, but this study proposes a multi-step approach to balance accuracy and efficiency. First, a global analysis using 2D elements is performed with Abaqus to evaluate stress and nodal displacements. These displacements then serve as boundary conditions for a refined local analysis using higherorder models in critical regions. The local domains are modelled using CUF, which supports higher-order plate elements and incorporates geometric nonlinear effects, including large displacements and rotations. The nonlinear equations are solved in a total Lagrangian framework using a Newton-Raphson linearization scheme with displacement-control constraints. This method mitigates computational demands while maintaining accuracy, enabling precise prediction of 3D failures in critical areas during the deploying process.