In this paper, dynamic response of multilayer functionally graded graphene platelets reinforced composite (FGGPLRC)
cylindrical shells in thermal environment under an impulse load is studied based on the first order shear
deformation theory (FSDT) of shells. The cylindrical shells under consideration are made up of multiple graphene
platelet reinforced composite (GPLRC) layers with uniformly distributed and randomly oriented graphene
platelets (GPLs) in each layer. GPL concentration is assumed to be graded in thickness direction. A new differential
quadrature method based on direct projection of the Heaviside function is utilized to spatially discretize
the governing equations. To solve the resulting system of ordinary differential equations (ODE) in temporal
domain, a recently developed multi-step time integration technique, introduced based on the non-uniform
rational B-spline (NURBS), is employed. After validating the approach, the effects of the different GPLs distribution
patterns, the weight fraction and dimension ratios of the GPLs, temperature change, time durations and
types of impulse loading on the dynamic responses of the FG-GPLRC shells are investigated and discussed. It is
shown that the addition of only little GPLs to polymer matrix considerably decreases the period of oscillatory
portions of the center deflection.