Flow birefringence measurement in a radial Hele-Shaw cell considering three-dimensional effects

Flow birefringence measurement is an emerging technique for visualizing stress fields in fluid flows. This study investigates flow birefringence in the steady radial Hele-Shaw flow. In the radial Hele-Shaw flow, stress is dominant along the gap direction, challenging the applicability of the conventional stress-optic law (SOL) with measurement from the gap direction. To overcome this problem, we used two types of flow birefringence measurement using radial Hele-Shaw cell and rheometer. We conduct flow birefringence measurements at various flow rates and compare the results with theoretical predictions. The observed phase retardation cannot be quantitatively explained using the conventional SOL, but is successfully described using the second-order SOL, which accounts for stress along the optical direction. The stress-optic coefficient in the second-order SOL was obtained by rheo-optical measurements. This study demonstrates that the combination of the second-order SOL and rheo-optical measurements is essential for an accurate interpretation of flow birefringence in Hele-Shaw flow, providing a noninvasive approach for stress field analysis in high-aspect-ratio geometries. • Flow birefringence was measured using two methods: in a Hele-Shaw cell and with a rheometer. • The second-order stress-optic law considers the contribution of stress along the optical axis. • Rheo-optical measurements provide a coefficient for stress contribution along the optical axis. • Observed Hele–Shaw birefringence is reproduced by a second-order SOL with 3D stresses.