ABSTRACT
Multiphase flow impact problems are frequently encountered in natural events and industrial applications. Violent water waves may cause severe damage to ships, offshore platforms and coastal defences. Traditionally the influence of trapped air pockets on plunging waves was ignored due to the small density of air compared to water. The problem becomes even more complicated when air bubbles are present in the water. In hydrodynamics, ordinary (non-breaking) water waves are usually considered as separated-phase flows, in which the free-surface separates the gas- and liquid-components completely. Computations of water-air shock tube problems are known to be challenging for numerical methods, particularly around the material interface where spurious nonphysical oscillations may occur. Some researchers have claimed that cavitation occurs in hydrodynamic slamming events as the pressure descends dramatically after the shock load. The air bubbles rise from the bottom of the ocean basin to the water surface and break up.
