Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) is a Lagrangian meshless method. The methodology was originally developed for simualting gas dynamics and processes in astrophysics such as star formation. In recent years, the particle method was applied to the treatement of incompressible fluid flow governed by the Navier-Stokes equations. Since the underlying spatial discretisation is both Lagranian and meshless, it is ideally suited to studying free surface flow. In addition, the method naturally enables one to describe rigid bodies.

In 2001, I undertook an honours project within the school of mathematical sciences at Monash university. Under the guidance of Professor Joe Monaghan we examined the interactions between a single gas bubble rising in a fluid, and a floating vessel. We conducted a number of laboratory experiments and numerical simulations using SPH. Some of the results are provided below.