A new type of plate heat exchanger (PHE), consisting of plates with dimples, is designed and studied. Experimental results and numerical simulations for the performance of fluid flow and heat transfer in such compact heat exchanger are reported. These results are analysed and also compared with conventional PHEs. The advantages of this new type of heat exchanger, such as the performance of turbulent flow and the enhancement of heat transfer, as well as the potential of reducing fouling, are discussed in the paper.