Computations using the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo method are presented for hypersonic flow over flat-nose power-law leading edges. The primary aim of this paper is to ex amine the geometry effect of such leading edg es on the shock wave structure. The impact of the nose-thickness and afterbody-shape variations on shock wave shape, shock standoff distance, and shock thickness of such leading edg es is investig ated by using a model that classies the molecules in three distinct classes: "undisturbed freestream" , "reflected from the boundary" and "scattered" , i.e., molecules that had been indirectly affected by the presence of the leading edg e. Comparisons based on shock wave standoff distance and shock wave thickness are made between these new blunt configurations and circular cylinder shape, usually assumed as the appropriate blunting g eometry for heat transfer considerations. It was found that the new blunt leading edg es provided smaller shock wave standoff distance and shock wave thickness, compared to the corresponding circular cylinder.
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