MAKI flexible size battery cases

[adsc]

I have not seen them mentioned in this forum yet, their approach sounds pretty interesting: MAKI Batteries
Basically, they cut a little plastic off the top of a round cell, so that they can contact both poles from above. Then they just fill the cells in and the case top has a clever press fit mechanism for every cell that makes contact with it.

Only problem for me at the moment is that they don't seem to do 24S cells, 14S seems to be the max that you can select. Could probably do two 12S halves, though. I'm seriously thinking about trying them out and using the cells I have for a stationary home battery (I have prismatic LFP cells at the moment).

The reason I'm considering them is that I could fill out the available space much better with a non-square battery.

 

[j bjork]

I wonder if this is really correct: "MAKI’s smart Battery Management System continuously monitors each cell and detects events such as cell degradation, water ingress, opening, or mechanical impact."

It will need a complicated bms and internal wiring if it really monitors each cell, instead of each serial cell group.

 

[adsc]

Hmmm, that sounds unrealistic. And unnecessary.

 

[lnanek]

I wonder why they bother with the one sided thing. Other companies have done the same working with both sides:

https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/gouachbatteries/infinite-the-repairable-universal-ebike-battery

It's just a PCB with a cut out that acts like a spring and bolting across to add tension IIRC. Seems like Maki would still need the bolting across anyway, so not much advantage to single sided.

 

[freesty]

improved cooling on the non contacted side.

 

[lnanek]

Oh, that's for EVs and motorcycles. Thank goodness I ride an ebike and don't have to deal with water cooling. All the extra connectors are ridiculous:

 

[BlueSwordM]

I wonder why they bother with the one sided thing. Other companies have done the same working with both sides:

https://www.indiegogo.com/en/projects/gouachbatteries/infinite-the-repairable-universal-ebike-battery

It's just a PCB with a cut out that acts like a spring and bolting across to add tension IIRC. Seems like Maki would still need the bolting across anyway, so not much advantage to single sided.

One-sided busbars allow for easier thermal dissipation designs.

However, ironically, on cells with steel casings, single-sided busbars have a non negligible performance cost, as current has to go all the way through a somewhat low conductivity steel sheet that is the casing.

 

[adsc]

Are the casings really steel, not aluminum?