Abstract: The development of hypersonic vehicles puts forward new requirements for simulation capabilities of ground wind tunnel facilities. Magneto-hydro-dynamic(MHD) acceleration has brought great interests as a means of enhancing gas speed and become an important breakthrough. This paper introduces the research work of MHD acceleration and its application to ground wind tunnel test. The MHD-accelerated hypersonic wind tunnel facility can simulate the test conditions of hypersonic vehicles and reproduce the ultra-high-speed flight environment. It is a key technology to develop the simulation capability for hypersonic ground test and shows great prospects and significance in aerospace industry.