A process for operating an electrochemical cell system, wherein the electrochemical cell system comprises: (i) at least two fuel electrodes for receiving electrodeposited metal fuel; (ii) at least one oxidant electrode spaced apart from the fuel electrode; (iii) at least one charging electrode; (iv) an ionically conductive medium communicating the electrodes of the electrochemical cell system for conducting ions to support electrochemical reactions at the fuel, oxidant, and charging electrodes, the ionically conductive medium comprising reducible metal fuel ions; wherein the process comprises: (i) assigning the fuel electrodes into units, the units comprising: a discharging unit and a charging unit; (ii) operating said cell system in a discharge mode wherein the metal fuel is oxidized at each fuel electrode in the discharging unit and an oxidant is reduced at the at least one oxidant electrode to generate an electrical discharge current therebetween for application to a load; (iii) operating said cell system in a charging mode wherein a reducible species of the fuel is reduced to electrodeposit the fuel on each fuel electrode in the charging unit and oxidize an oxidizable species of the oxidant at the charging electrode by application of an electrical charge current therebetween from a power source; (iv) monitoring a state-of-charge for each fuel electrode in the discharging unit during said discharge mode, wherein each fuel electrode in the discharging unit having a state-of-charge meeting a predetermined depletion criteria is assigned from the discharging unit to the charging unit; and (v) monitoring a state of charge for each fuel electrode in the charging unit during the charging mode, wherein each fuel electrode in the charging unit having a state-of-charge meeting a predetermined loading criteria is assigned from the charging unit to the discharging unit. (i) at least two fuel electrodes for receiving electrodeposited metal fuel; (ii) at least one oxidant electrode spaced apart from the fuel electrode; (iii) at least one charging electrode; (iv) an ionically conductive medium communicating the electrodes of the electrochemical cell system for conducting ions to support electrochemical reactions at the fuel, oxidant, and charging electrodes, the ionically conductive medium comprising reducible metal fuel ions; (i) assigning the fuel electrodes into units, the units comprising: a discharging unit and a charging unit; (ii) operating said cell system in a discharge mode wherein the metal fuel is oxidized at each fuel electrode in the discharging unit and an oxidant is reduced at the at least one oxidant electrode to generate an electrical discharge current therebetween for application to a load; (iii) operating said cell system in a charging mode wherein a reducible species of the fuel is reduced to electrodeposit the fuel on each fuel electrode in the charging unit and oxidize an oxidizable species of the oxidant at the charging electrode by application of an electrical charge current therebetween from a power source; (iv) monitoring a state-of-charge for each fuel electrode in the discharging unit during said discharge mode, wherein each fuel electrode in the discharging unit having a state-of-charge meeting a predetermined depletion criteria is assigned from the discharging unit to the charging unit; and (v) monitoring a state of charge for each fuel electrode in the charging unit during the charging mode, wherein each fuel electrode in the charging unit having a state-of-charge meeting a predetermined loading criteria is assigned from the charging unit to the discharging unit.