AbstractA broad empirical study of nine independent sets of data on fluidized‐bed heat transfer is presented, with correlation of the data in two groups. A wide range of the many variables is covered, and some data on commercial units are included. Data for external (i.e., walls of the fluidizing vessel) and internal (i.e., tubes in the bed) heat transfer surfaces are correlated graphically. The correlations indicate the importance of heat transport by the mobile particles and of unsteady state conduction in the ga