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)?

Question

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)?

In: 0

Answer 1

It’s like with a fire: You put in fuel and you get heat out which you can then use to make electricity or whatever. All of the energy was already present in the fuel, so we are not violating any laws. But we are getting more *usable* energy out than we put in.