We used a shell-and-tube type preheater to investigate the effect of noncondensable gas on heat transfer. In the preheater of the drying system, heat is exchanged between steam-air mixed gas which is dryer outlet gas and sewage sludge. To evaluate the performances of the preheater, water was first used in the tube-side material instead of sewage sludge and steam-air mixed gas in the shell-side material. The test variables were as follows: mixed gas inlet temperatures range from 95 to 120 ℃; inlet air content, mair/msteam from 55 to 83%; tube-side water flow rate from 42 to 62 kg/h. The shell-side heat transfer coefficient varied from 150 to 550W/m2K, which corresponds to the amount of noncondensable gas in the steam-air mixed gas and the overall heat transfer coefficient varied from 60 to 210W/m2K. Using sewage sludge as a tube-side material the overall heat transfer coefficient varied from 60 to 130W/m2K and the outlet temperature of sewage sludge was above 90 ℃, which is high enough for reducing energy consumption in the dryer by preheating the sewage sludge.