Will fusion reaction generators be viable in the not too distant future?

Question

Today's nuclear reactors break apart big atoms and energy to heat steam and turn electric generators for our use. That's by the process of nuclear fission.
Scientists have been working for over 50 years to try and sustain nuclear fusion, or the combining of hydrogen isotopes into helium and energy. As far as I know, there is no success as yet.
Will it ever come to pass? If so, when? Will it really solve all our energy problems if successful?

I doubt I'll be around in 50 years to see the success of this.

Answer 1

Actually there is a commercial scale reaction being built in France right now in a coop with many countries. Its a demo of what is to come, probably on-line in 10 years. Fusion has many techinical difficulties but is possible, there have been self sustaining reactions demonstrated already. I'd expect in the next 50 years you will see commercial plants, imagine they will be based on some massive laser array experiments I've seen recently to ignite the reaction

Answer 2

fusion reactors have a great many problems mainly reaching that tempreture and pressure to sustain it..it will eventually(15-20 years)get developed but will be too expensive for the next 5-10 years so we could expect one latest by 2030. Its overhyped...it is a very powerful energy producing method but remember our demand too is huge so initial costs will be high

Answer 3

For 50 years scientist have been saying that within 10 years we would have working fusion reactors. So it doesn't look promising, does it?

Answer 4

Good question, little answer - maybe someday over the rainbow..

Answer 5

This is an engineering question more than a physics question.