eli5: To make fusion energy viable, we need to get out more energy than it takes to actually run the process. But doesn’t that contradict the laws of thermodynamics (getting more energy out then you put in)?
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Fusion produces energy from the interaction of the bonds between the particles in an atomic nucelli. Each atomic nucleus is a bundle of protons and neutrons which is overall has a positive charge.
To get fusion to happen, we have to shove those atomic nuclei together close enough for them to react. Because of electromagnetism, where like charges repel each other, it takes a massive amount of energy to get the two nucelli close enough together to interact reliably. In the sun, the energy comes from the gravity of the star, but outside of a star, we have to provide it in the form of heat and magnetic fields.
That’s the energy we’re putting into the system.
When the two nucelli do end up interacting and combining, however, the change in the bonds between the protons and neutrons of the two nucelli becoming one atomic nucleus and some byproducts that fly off results in a massive amount of energy being released.
That’s the energy we get out of the reaction.
For fusion to be a viable source of energy, we need to get more energy out from the nuclear reaction than we’re putting in to get the reaction to happen.
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