Randomly　packed　beds　are　widely　used　in　practice　due　to　their　low　cost　and　ease　of　use,　however,　the　pressure　drops　in　such　packed　beds　are　usually　high.　Compared　with　randomly　packed　beds,　structured　packed　beds　have　a　relatively　lower　pressure　drop,　while　the　heat　transfer　is　weakened,　and　their　packing　form　is　hard　to　achieve.　In　the　present　paper,　a　grille-sphere　composite　structured　packed　bed　(GSCSPB)　is　designed　and　the　pressure　drop　together　with　the　heat　transfer　in　GSCSPB　is　experimentally　investigated　by　using　the　naphthalene　sublimation　technique.　Firstly,　it　is　found　that,　the　pressure　drop　in　GSCSPB　is　a　little　higher　than　that　of　simple　cubic　(SC)　packing　and　is　much　lower　than　that　of　randomly　packed　bed.　Secondly,　it　shows　that　the　particle-to-fluid　heat　transfer　coefficient　(h(sf))　in　GSCSPB　would　be　improved　by　94%　of　SC　packing,　and　can　be　76%　of　that　in　randomly　packed　bed.　That　shows　a　highest　overall　heat　transfer　performance　of　GSCSPB.　Finally,　it　reveals　that　the　grille-to-fluid　heat　transfer　coefficient　(h(gf))　in　GSCSPB　is　1.05-1.23　times　than　h(sf)　in　GSCSPB,　which　indicates　a　huge　potential　for　the　heat　transfer　capacity　in　GSCSPB.　(C)　2017　Published　by　Elsevier　Ltd.　This　is　an　open　access　article　under　the　CC　BY-NC-ND　license