Peter Byrnes

Roles and responsibilities

Mechanical Engineer, Astronomy Technology Directorate, Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre, Victoria, B.C.

Current research and/or projects

Lead mechanical engineer, Narrow Field Infra-Red Adaptive Optics System (NFIRAOS) for the Thirty Meter Telescope

Research and/or project statements

Design of structures and opto-mechanical systems for adaptive optics on extremely large optical telescopes

Measurement and analysis of mechanical vibrations in astronomical observatories

Space vehicle mechanisms

Fibre-optic and piezo-electric sensors

Satellite ground truthing

Education

Master of Applied Science, Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C., Canada (1997)

Bachelor of Science, Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C., Canada (1989)

Affiliations

Professional Engineer (Engineering Physics), Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (EGBC, formerly Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia)

Awards

University of Victoria Graduate Teaching Fellowship

Province of British Columbia Post-Secondary Education Scholarship

Key publications

"Reverse Finite Element Modelling and Verification Testing of the John A. Galt 26 m Radio Telescope", Mohammad Islam, Peter W.G. Byrnes, Timothy Robishaw, Han Qin Xin, Proceedings of SPIE, Volume 12182, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes IX (2022)

"Vibration Measurements in Astronomical Observatories toward Robust AO and Instrument Designs", Peter W.G. Byrnes, Thomas Hayward, Hugh Thompson, Proceedings of SPIE, Volume 11445, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VIII (2020)

"The Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre’s Vibration Measurement Capabilities with Applications to Astronomical Instrumentation", Peter W.G. Byrnes, Glen Herriot, Joeleff Fitzsimmons, Adam Densmore, Proceedings of SPIE, Volume 11445, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VIII (2020)

"Modal Vibration Testing of the DVA-1 Radio Telescope", Peter W. G. Byrnes, Gordon Lacy; Proceedings of SPIE Volume 9906, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VI (2016)

"NFIRAOS in 2015: Engineering for Future Integration of Complex Subsystems", Jenny Atwood, David Andersen, Peter Byrnes, Adam Densmore, Joeleff Fitzsimmons, Glen Herriot, Alexis Hill; Proceedings of SPIE Volume 9909, Adaptive Optics Systems V, (2016)

"Measuring Transmission and Forces from Observatory Equipment Vibration", Hugh Thompson, Doug MacMartin, Peter W.G. Byrnes, Daigo Tomono, Hiroshi Terada Proceedings of SPIE, Volume 9145 (2014)

"Development of the Dish Verification Antenna-1 for the Square Kilometre Array", G. Hovey, G. Lacy, P. Byrnes, J. Fitzsimmons, M. Fleming, 16th International Symposium on Antenna Technology and Applied Electromagnetics (ANTEM) (2014)

"NFIRAOS: First Facility AO System for the Thirty Meter Telescope", Glen Herriot, David Andersen, Jenny Atwood, Corinne Boyer, Peter Byrnes, Kris Caputa, Brent Ellerbroek, Luc Gilles, Alexis Hill, Zoran Ljusic, John Pazder, Matthias Rosensteiner, Malcolm Smith, Paolo Spano, Kei Szeto, Jean-Pierre Véran, Ivan Wevers, Lianqi Wang, Robert Wooff; Proceedings of SPIE. Volume 9148, Adaptive Optics Systems IV (2014)

"Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics' Vibration Measurement Capabilities with Applications to Astronomical Instrumentation", Peter W.G. Byrnes, Proceedings of SPIE, Volume 8444, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes IV (2012)

"Present Optical and Mechanical Design Status of NFIRAOS for TMT", Atwood, J, Byrnes, P.W.G., Herriot, G., Welle, P.; Proceedings of SPIE, Volume 7015 (2008)

"A Piezoelectric Force Sensor for Mill-scale Chip Refiners", D. Olender, P.M. Wild, P.W.G. Byrnes, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part E- Journal of Process Mechanical Engineering, 222, p.115-122 (2008)

"Ex-vivo Measurement of Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Pressure using Fibre-Bragg Gratings", C.R. Dennison, P.M. Wild, P.W.G. Byrnes, A Saari, E. Itshayek, D.C. Wilson, Q.A. Zhu, M.F.S. Dvorak, P.A. Cripton, D.R. Wilson, , Journal of Biomechanics, 41 (1), p.221-225 (2008)

"Forces on Bars in High-consistency Mill-scale Refiners: Trends in Primary and Rejects Stage Refiners", D. Olender, P.M. Wild, P.W.G. Byrnes, D. Ouelette , Journal of Pulp and Paper Science, 33(3), p.163-171 (2007)

"A Technique to Measure Mean Residence Time in TMP Refiners based on Inherent Process Fluctuations", Senger, J., Ouellet, D., Wild, P.M., Byrnes, P., Sabourin, M., Olender, D. (2006) Journal of Pulp and Paper Science, 32 (2), pp. 83-89.

"A Flow-Rate and Conductivity Transducer for Centrifuge-Borne Membrane Process Measurements", P.W.G. Byrnes, P.M. Wild, A. Bergen, T.M. Fyles, G.W. Vickers, Measurement Science and Technology, Institute of Physics Publishing, (2000)

"The CMDS Flow-Rate and Conductivity Transducer: a Custom Measurement System with Virtual Instrumentation using LabVIEW", P.W.G. Byrnes, A. Bergen, P.M. Wild, T.M. Fyles, G.W. Vickers, Proceedings, NIWeek97: Worldwide Conference on Virtual Instrumentation, Austin, Texas, USA, (1997)

Previous work experience

Research Council Officer, Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre, Victoria, B.C., Canada (2006-present)

Mechanical Engineering team lead, Astronomy Technology Directorate, Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre, Victoria, B.C. (2012-2023)

Research Engineer, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C., Canada

Senior Design Engineer, Mechanisms Product Group, EADS Astrium (MATRA Marconi Space), Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England

Research Assistant, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C., Canada

Research Technologist, Space and Atmospheric Research Group, Department of Physics, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

International experience and/or work

Senior Design Engineer, Mechanisms Product Group, EADS Astrium (MATRA Marconi Space), Stevenage, England and Toulouse, France

  • Responsible Engineer for solar array drive mechanisms and antenna deployment/trimming mechanisms, used on geostationary communications satellites built by Astrium.

Research Technologist, Space and Atmospheric Research Group, Department of Physics, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

  • Satellite ground truthing campaigns in Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S.A. and Wellington (Lower Hutt), New Zealand

Peter Byrnes

Senior Research Officer
Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics
5071 West Saanich Road
Victoria, British Columbia V9E 2E7
Preferred language: English
Telephone: 250-448-2793

Expertise

Technology, Technological innovation