The knowledge of heat transfer enhancement using a heater with twisted configuration is important for the high performance design of high temperature thermal systems such as very high temperature reactors (VHTR). In this study, forced convection transient heat transfer for helium gas at various periods of exponential increase of heat input to a twisted plate was experimentally studied. The heat generation rate, (Q)over dot, was raised with exponential function, (Q)over dot = Q(0) exp(t/tau) (where t is time, and tau is period of heat generation rate). The transient heat transfer experimental data were measured for the periods ranged from 46 ms to 17 s and at gas temperatures of 303 K and 313 K under 500 kPa. The flow velocities ranged from 4 m/s to 10 m/s. The pitches of the twisted plates were 20 mm, 25 mm, and 30 mm. The surface temperature and heat flux increased exponentially with the time. It was clarified that the heat transfer coefficient approaches the quasi-steady-state one for the period longer than about 1 s, and it becomes higher for the period shorter than about 1 s. An enhancement in the heat transfer performance for the twisted plate was clarified. Based on the experimental data, empirical correlation of heat transfer for twisted plate was obtained. Furthermore, the mechanism of heat transfer enhancement due to twisted plate was stated in detail. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.