Chapter 1 — The Beginning | 2020 

My journey into Metal Fuel Cell technology began in 2020.

At the time, I was working in a completely different industry. When I was first introduced to Metal Fuel Cell, or aluminum-air battery technology, I was deeply fascinated.

I had never imagined that metal could be used to generate electricity.

The technology was completely new to me, but its potential attracted me strongly. At the same time, my work at that stage was not going particularly well.

Eventually, I made a decision to enter this new industry.

That was the beginning of my MFC journey.

Early MFC Systems 

These photos were taken during my early days in the industry.

They show some of the MFC systems and stacks I first encountered after entering the field.

A Note of Gratitude 

The company that first introduced me to this industry has since ceased operations.

Although that chapter has long since ended, I remain sincerely grateful to the people who helped me take my first steps into the MFC field.

They generously shared their knowledge and experience with me, and that early guidance became the starting point of my own journey.

I am grateful to them, and to the people who opened this door for me.

This is where my story began.

Chapter 2 — Learning by Building | 2021–2022

The two years that followed were an important stage in my MFC journey.

I went from being a complete newcomer to gradually developing a deeper understanding of MFC systems.

I began taking part in system design, prototype development, testing, and hands-on work.

I was no longer just learning about the technology. I was starting to build with it.

A New Team, A New Direction

During this period, several colleagues and I formed a new team because we had different ideas about where to take the technology.

We wanted to develop a small MFC-based device, but the market direction was still unclear.

So we spent a lot of time trying different ideas, building prototypes, testing them, and starting over.

There was a lot of trial and error.

Learning Through Experience

The process gave me a much deeper understanding of MFC — its basic structure, electrical characteristics, potential, and limitations.

Some things could only be understood through hands-on experience.

I gradually learned that good technology is only the beginning. The real challenge is making it practical and useful.

Chapter 3 — Starting Over | 2023

The beginning of 2023 was one of the most difficult periods of my MFC journey.

After several years of exploration and development, we began to face increasing challenges.

Without stable income, it became increasingly difficult to sustain the project.

Eventually, most of the team members had to leave for practical reasons.

Only two people remained — myself and one part-time colleague.

We had two choices:

Close everything down, or reduce costs and continue moving forward.

We chose the second one.

We left our previous office and moved to a smaller workspace in a lower-cost area.

Chapter 4 — Digging Deeper | 2024 

After a short period of rest, I returned to the workshop.

With lower overhead costs, I was no longer constantly under financial pressure.

I decided to slow down and focus on what mattered most: the technology.

There were two core challenges I needed to tackle.

First, I had to master 3D modeling.

After comparing different CAD software, I chose SolidWorks and taught myself through free online tutorials.

Second, I needed to overcome the stability issues of our electrode materials.

Fortunately, I connected with a new friend who shared the same technical focus.

Working closely together, we significantly mitigated metal anode passivation while improving the catalytic activity and long-term stability of the air cathode.

Throughout the year, we iteratively designed, prototyped, and tested different cell structures, logging endless hours of discharge data.

Bit by bit, I moved past the trial-and-error stage.

I was beginning to truly master the technology.