Heat transfer from engine walls has an important role on engine combustion, performance and emission characteristics. The main focus of this study is offering a new relation for calculation of convective heat transfer from in-cylinder charge to combustion chamber walls of HCCI engines and providing the ability of new model in comparison with the previous models. Therefore, a multi zone model is developed for homogeneous charge compression ignition engine simulation. Model consists of four different types of zones including core zone, boundary layer zone, outer zones, which are between core and boundary layer, and crevice zone. Conductive heat transfer and mass transfer are considered between neighboring zones. For accurate calculation of initial conditions at inlet valve closing, multi zone model is coupled with a single zone model, which simulates gas exchange process. Various correlations are used as convective heat transfer correlations. Woschni, modified Woschni, Hohenberg and Annand correlations are used as convective heat transfer models. The new convection model, developed by authors, is used, too. Comparative analyses are done to recognize the accurate correlation for prediction of engine combustion, performance and emission characteristics in a wide range of operating conditions. The results indicate that utilization of various heat transfer models, except for new convective heat transfer model, leads to significant differences in prediction of in-cylinder pressure and exhaust emissions. Using Woschni, Chang and new model, convective heat transfer coefficient increases near top dead center, sharply. Chang and Woschni correlations over predict in-cylinder peak pressure slightly. Annand and Hohenberg correlations compute convective heat transfer coefficient higher than other correlations which cause to incomplete combustion. Therefore, by employing Annand and Hohenberg models, peak in-cylinder pressure is lower than the corresponding measured values and the predicted values for carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons are higher than the corresponding experimental values. Finally, it can be concluded that the new heat transfer model can be employed in multi zone chemical kinetics model to estimate convective heat transfer of HCCI engines more accurately. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.