Characteristics of heat transfer were investigated in a three-phase swirling fluidized bed whose diameter was 0.102 m and 2.5 m in height. Effects of gas and liquid velocities, particle size and liquid swirling ratio (RS) on the immersed heater-to-bed overall heat transfer coefficient were examined. The heat transfer characteristics between the immersed heater and the bed was well analyzed by means of phase space portraits and Kolmogorov entropy(K) of the time series of temperature difference fluctuations. The phase space portraits of temperature difference fluctuations became stable and periodic and the value of Kolmogorov entropy tended to decrease with increasing the value of liquid swirling ratio from 0.1 to 0.4. The value of Kolmogorov entropy exhibited its minimum with increasing liquid swirling ratio. The value of overall heat transfer coefficient (h) showed its maximum with the variation of liquid velocity, bed porosity or liquid swirling ratio, but it increased with increasing gas velocity and particle size. The value of K exhibited its maximum at the liquid velocity at which the h value attained its maximum. The overall heat transfer coefficient and Kolmogorov entropy were well correlated in terms of dimensionless groups and operating variables.