Cavity-type inertial separators developed by GRI (Patent no. 2, 159, 949, Canada, 2002) were tested in a semi-industrial size circulating fluidized bed pilot plant operated at room temperature. Three rows of separators were hung from the roof of the pilot plant where one row was kept inside the riser and the others were kept in the primary separation chamber, located between the back-pass and the riser. Parameters measured were axial pressure drops along the height of the riser, vertical solids flux on the separator walls, lateral outwards solids flux in the riser with and without separator and local temperatures on the separator walls. A net downwards solids flux is on the inner wall of the separators; however, no downwards solids flux is on the outer walls of the separators. Heat transfer coefficients on the outer wall are found higher than those on the inner walls of the separator. It is also found that the presence of inertial separators not only provides additional heat transfer surfaces but also indirectly increases the heat transfer coefficients on the riser wall. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.