Heat transfer characteristics have been investigated in a three-phase inverse fluidized bed whose diameter and height are 0.152 m and 2.5 m, respectively. Hydrodynamics such as pressure drop, bed expansion and phase holdups have been also examined to analyze the relation between the hydrodynamics and the heat transfer coefficient in the immersed heater-tobed heat transfer system. Effects of gas and liquid velocities and bed porosity on the heat transfer coefficient have been determined. Tap water, filtered compressed air and low density polypropylene whose density and diameter are 877.3 kg/m(3) and 4 mm have been used as a liquid, gas and solid phase, respectively. The minimum liquid fluidization velocity(U(Lmf)) and individual phase holdups have been obtained from the pressure drop profiles by means of static pressure drop method. It has been found that the heat transfer coefficient has increased with increasing gas velocity, but it has exhibited a maximum value with the variation of liquid velocity or bed porosity in three phase inverse fluidized beds. The minimum liquid fluidization velocity had decreased gradually with an increase in the gas velocity. The heat transfer coefficient has been will correlated as a function of operating variables and in terms of dimensionless groups, respectively, within this experimental conditions.