Industry processes require large amounts of energy inputs and often generate high temperatures exit gases that can potentially serve as secondary sources of energy. Waste heat recovery offers an opportunity for energy conservation that deserves more attention in the current global effort. Recovery of such waste heat can result in substantial reductions in net energy demand. Based on these objectives, this report describes the result of an experimental study that used solid particles in a vertical riser to recover gas energy from hot air through co‐current contact with solid particles. To study the hydrodynamic aspects of the riser section, this study utilized a fabricated experimental apparatus similar to the vertical duct used in the cement industry. The purpose of this study is to collect hydrodynamic data because there is limited information available about these aspects in the literature. A metallic fluid particle heat exchanger has been investigated through experiments. Various sizes of quarry dust and iron ore particles are studied in the present study. An empirical correlation is used to fit the mixing length (LA) determined at different parametric levels (gas velocity, particle size, solid feed rate, and solid density). Experimental correspondence for mixing length or LA is given as . The constructed experimental setup demonstrates a suspension preheater (SP) used in modern cement plants, but the correlation can be extended to a variety of other industries where waste heat recovery is feasible.