Multiphase flows have received increasing attention over the past decades. This paper describes the research carried out in Thermo-Energy Engineering Institute of Southeast University in recent years, focusing on several common issues associated with multiphase flows in industry, such as: boiling of falling film and complex structure of gas-liquid flow under large difference in temperature, free surface flows involving liquid jets and drop formation, mixing behaviors of gas-liquid-solid three-phase flow, and fluidization characteristics of cylindrical particles. Numerical methods ranging from empirical to CFD models were developed for predictions, and experimental works were essentially conducted for validation and modification. For all cases, simulated results were validated with experiments and good agreements were obtained. Based on the combined modeling and experimental approach, fundamental understanding of multiphase processes in a specific circumstance is achieved under conditions relevant to the actual industrial-scale, such as transport phenomena, flow patterns, fluid dynamics and interactions between phases. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd.