Using magnets to replace solder/welding fuses?

Has there been any discussion or experimentation in using Nickle Plated Neodymium Magnets in lieu of soldering the fuse directly onto a cell? My idea is to create a battery pack design which can if neededquicklyremove/replace bad cells without the need for any tools.

Thanks in advance

This would work great, if there wasn't so much resistance and little contact area. The problem is the two surfaces are hard and not flexible. So the contact patch wouldn't be sufficient. This is great for just doing voltage readings with no current draw. But otherwise, not a good idea for anything else.

Unless you're using a really strong magnet. But then the field would interfere with the power transmission. So, generally speaking, overall, not a good idea.

At least with metal tabs (like those in the cell holders) have a bit of flex and are forced onto the cell with pressure. This allows for better connection. The only advantage of soldering is that it reduces the resistance a bit. We already know the tabs can handle the load because we use them for testing the cells in the first place.

I hope this answered your question. Maybe others will chime in with their input as well.

Dont forget the cost of decent magnets?
How do you add the wire to the magnet?

No magnets i would not even consider at all. I want proper contact!

Oh, and forgot, it's harder to solder to a magnet, plus when doing so, the magnets loose some of their strength.

Sorry to crash and burn on your idea, David.

These has been a lot of discussion and experimentation over at the electric bike forum. Neo magnets are not a good conductor, but...a thin copper sheet bus strip can be held onto an 18650 cell tip by a magnet.

There are issues that need to be considered, though...the typical 18650 outer cylinder skin is usually nickel-plated steel. Magnets readily stick to it with considerable strength. One experiment found that magnets in one area wanted to jump over and connect to another magnet nearby, and much more vigorously than it wanted to stick to the steel cell-can.

The best first experiment might use round "button" magnets that have a countersunk hole in the center. That way they can be held in place by a screw onto some backing material (wood? plastic?). The magnet should not be used as the conductor, a ribbon of copper or aluminum is the best option to conduct electricity. Brass is a poor third option for a conductor, but it does work. Here's a 12mm X 3mmexample, six cents apiece...

https://www.ebay.com/itm/50PCs-N50-...m=291384582987&_trksid=p2385738.c100677.m4598

No matter what method is used to hold a bus ribbon onto a cell-tip (spot-welding, solder, magnets), the absolute best material is nickel-plated copper.

I am big fan of the format that uses a fuse-wire on the positive end (soldered?), and a magnet holding a copper ribbon onto the negative end. the negative electrode is BY FAR the most sensitive part of an 18650 cell, at risk from the heat of soldering.

The positive tip has some space between the outer shell and the interior battery material (PCM, CID, etc), but...the negative end has the "jelly roll" right up against the bottom and sides. If you solder onto the top andbottom of a thousand18650 cells...one or two might have some heat damage to the negative end, but...not the positive end.

My biggest concern above all the previously listed issues - if a magnet is strong enough to hold a bus bar or connection, if it picks up a stray metal object and causes a short.

A strong enough magnet may even be capable of a force great enough to dent a battery - ie magnet or battery gain some momentum from being bought into close proximity.

Personally I don't think I would bring a magnet anywhere near any number of interconnected batteries.