Mini bottle battery

Alan Quay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Dec 4, 2012
2,351
1,076
Devon
Has anyone managed to make a 36v battery that fits into a normal (ish) sized water bottle? I don't mean the big brushed ally things that look like torpedoes like you find on the Kudos bikes.

I only need 5-6ah, and was willing to go lipo but I can't seem to get anything with the correct dimensions.
 

craiggor

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 9, 2015
498
171
Not tried it,but looks like you could get 8 18650's in a bottle x 3 high in the larger bottles. 12s.I think big batteries are a waste.Why carry 15ah around when 5 will get you where you're going.wan't more range,fit more bottle mounts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Alan Quay

Alan Quay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Dec 4, 2012
2,351
1,076
Devon
Not tried it,but looks like you could get 8 18650's in a bottle x 3 high in the larger bottles. 12s.I think big batteries are a waste.Why carry 15ah around when 5 will get you where you're going.wan't more range,fit more bottle mounts.
Yes, that's my idea. I have a few bikes, one is used mainly for fitness so I really only draw more than 4a on a few steep sections of my 10-15 mile routes.

As a result I average around 6wh/mile, perhaps a bit less (getting fitter, losing weight)

5ah (180wh) would give me a range of 30 miles or so, plenty enough.
 
  • Like
Reactions: craiggor
D

Deleted member 4366

Guest

anotherkiwi

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2015
7,845
5,785
The European Union
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=37501

A couple of these fit in a box slightly larger than 160x50x82. I have been thinking along the same lines - a small battery for around town / going to the shops and a larger one for the road. With my riding style and hilly roads I would get about 22 km from a 5 Ah battery (4 Ah available, if you believe HK 4.5 Ah for the nano-tech) so it could also get me back from the station.

EDIT: Maybe by removing the packaging from around the LiPo pouches these could be curved and squeezed into a large tool bottle like the one I have.
 
Last edited:

Alan Quay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Dec 4, 2012
2,351
1,076
Devon
Yes, that looks like the next best answer. I was looking at these:

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__9934__ZIPPY_Flightmax_5800mAh_5S1P_30C.html

With the ones you linked to, any bottle would have to be a diameter of about 120mm (a bit big - the ones i linked even worse) so I would want to make a square housing, which will be much less covert.

Its a shame because it could be done if the Lipos were shaped more conveniently.
 

Alan Quay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Dec 4, 2012
2,351
1,076
Devon
I reckon I could just about fit the two 5800 lipos and a 6fet controller into a saddlebag, so I think that's the next best thing.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: Steve UKLSRA

Steve UKLSRA

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 29, 2015
318
293
Porthmadog
www.ukbusas.org
I reckon I could just about fit the two 5800 lipos and a 6fet controller into a saddlebag, so I think that's the next best thing.
That's the way we've gone Alan...large Topeak Aero Wedge bags and they're small/light enough to stick a spare in a rucksack, 48V 11.6Ah each, 23.2Ah in total - enough for an epic day out:)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Alan Quay

Alan Quay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Dec 4, 2012
2,351
1,076
Devon
If you decide to go the lipo route then those Multistar 10C batteries are very small.
Problem is they don't do them in 5s . I was hoping to use 2x5s packs to get 36v.

I could use a 4 and a 6 but that's going to make things more complicated.
 
D

Deleted member 4366

Guest
What's wrong with the bottle batteries from Keyde then?

https://keyde.en.alibaba.com/product/841211918-213504283/keyde_electric_bicycle_Li_ion_Battery_e_bike_kit_33V.html

There's no need to use lipos these days. You can get very powerful 18650s that have a much higher specific energy.

https://www.imrbatteries.com/mxjo-imr-18650-2500mah-35a-3-7v-rechargeable-flat-top-battery/

A 5ah 10S lipo pack weighs about 1.5kg. A 5aH high discharge 10S 2P 18650 pack would weigh only 900g, and it'll have double the life and less chance of getting bricked. Have a word with Jimmy at Insat. He can weld a pack into whatever configeration you want with whatever cells you want. A 10S2P pack arranged in three blocks of 7, 7 and 6 would be 54mm dia and 195mm long, Arranged in two blocks of 10 would be 72mm diameter and 130mm long.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

awol

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 4, 2013
1,216
374
Have a word with Jimmy at Insat. He can weld a pack into whatever configeration you want with whatever cells you want. A 10S2P pack arranged in three blocks of 7, 7 and 6 would be 54mm dia and 195mm long, Arranged in two blocks of 10 would be 72mm diameter and 130mm long.
I've been thinking this very idea recently for a small shrinkwrapped battery with some quality cells when my current bottle battery finally gives up probably soon.
 

Alan Quay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Dec 4, 2012
2,351
1,076
Devon
What's wrong with the bottle batteries from Keyde then?

https://keyde.en.alibaba.com/product/841211918-213504283/keyde_electric_bicycle_Li_ion_Battery_e_bike_kit_33V.html

There's no need to use lipos these days. You can get very powerful 18650s that have a much higher specific energy.

https://www.imrbatteries.com/mxjo-imr-18650-2500mah-35a-3-7v-rechargeable-flat-top-battery/

A 5ah 10S lipo pack weighs about 1.5kg. A 5aH high discharge 10S 2P 18650 pack would weigh only 900g, and it'll have double the life and less chance of getting bricked. Have a word with Jimmy at Insat. He can weld a pack into whatever configeration you want with whatever cells you want. A 10S2P pack arranged in three blocks of 7, 7 and 6 would be 54mm dia and 195mm long, Arranged in two blocks of 10 would be 72mm diameter and 130mm long.
t

That one from Keyde is a nominal 33v, and I cant work out how to purchase the correct size.

Contacting Jimmy is a great idea though.

Any idea where I can get a suitable BMS?
 

anotherkiwi

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2015
7,845
5,785
The European Union
Doesn't Insat provide those too?

d8veh LiPo is all about DIY and we don't have an Insat on this side of the water. I can't even get LiPo from the HK UK warehouse!!! From what I have read I would have no hesitation using their services.

I have yet to try a high discharge Li-Ion battery, what are the sag values compared to a "vanilla" bottle battery? My Samsung 26F's sag 3 to 4 Volts on my regular climbs. My Lipo pack only tenths of a Volt.