eli5: once we are able to sustain a fusion reaction, it is supposed to be a self sustaining process (so I have read). How would we be able to “switch off ” this process, and wouldn’t a self sustaining process be an example of a perpetual process?

Question

eli5: once we are able to sustain a fusion reaction, it is supposed to be a self sustaining process (so I have read). How would we be able to “switch off ” this process, and wouldn’t a self sustaining process be an example of a perpetual process?

In: 4

Answer 1

It would still need fuel. Our sun for example is a giant fusion furnace that fuses hydrogen into helium. So we could easily stop the process by cutting off the fuel.