Book excerpt: Accurately predicting the behaviour of multiphase flows is a problem of immense industrial and scientific interest. Modern computers can now study the dynamics in great detail and these simulations yield unprecedented insight. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to direct numerical simulations of multiphase flows for researchers and graduate students. After a brief overview of the context and history the authors review the governing equations. A particular emphasis is placed on the 'one-fluid' formulation where a single set of equations is used to describe the entire flow field and interface terms are included as singularity distributions. Several applications are discussed, showing how direct numerical simulations have helped researchers advance both our understanding and our ability to make predictions. The final chapter gives an overview of recent studies of flows with relatively complex physics, such as mass transfer and chemical reactions, solidification and boiling, and includes extensive references to current work.