How did seeding a working gas help early MHD experiments generate electricity?

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magnetohydrodynamic power generator Comparison of the operating principles of (A) a turbogenerator and (B) an MHD generator.

In early magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) power generator experiments, researchers found that the working gas—typically produced by burning fossil fuel—required increased electrical conductivity to generate usable power.12

By injecting a small amount of a "seed" material—a readily ionizable alkali substance such as potassium carbonate, cesium, or sodium—into the hot gas, engineers were able to achieve the necessary electrical conductivity for the system to function. This process allowed the gas to act as an effective conductor as it moved through a magnetic field, enabling the extraction of small amounts of electric power. This technique was notably demonstrated by Bela Karlovitz and D. Halász at the Westinghouse Electric Corporation in 1946.23