The article presents an overview of models used to calculate combustion process parameters in piston engines. One of the applied techniques is modelling based on the mathematical description of physical phenomena. The level of complexity of such a description depends, however, on the purpose of the model, the efficiency of calculations and the possibility of obtaining reliable measurement data. The paper presents various methods of modelling phenomena occurring in the cylinder of a Diesel engine. Presented are assumptions and effects of modelling using models from 0-dimensional and single-zone to complex 3-dimensional models, describing the phenomena of turbulent mass movements using computer fluid mechanics.