In this paper, the fictitious domain (FD) method and the sharp interface (SI) method are combined for the direct numerical simulations of particulate flows with heat transfer in three dimensions. The flow field and the motion of particles are solved with the FD method. The temperature field is solved in both fluid and solid media with the SI method. The accuracy of the proposed FD/SI method is validated via two problems: the natural convection in a two- dimensional cavity with fixed solid particles, and the flow over a cold sphere. The method is then applied to the natural convection in a three dimensional cavity with a fixed sphere, the motion of a spherical particle in a non-isothermal fluid, and the rising of spherical catalyst particles in an enclosure. The effects of the thermal conductivity ratio are examined in the first and third problems, respectively, and the significant effects of the thermal expansion coefficient ratio on the particle motion are demonstrated in the second problem. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.