Abstract: In this paper, we present a numerical study of a nanosecond-pulse controlled surface dielectric barrier discharge (SDBD) actuator, with face-to-face anodes confined in a groove, which provides a type of aerodynamic regulation via a nonplanar surface. The results indicate that, in comparison with a single anode discharge, the space limitation effect together with the intensified space charge strengthen the ohmic heating and electrohydrodynamic (EHD) force. On one hand, the increased ohmic heating in the confined space between the two dielectric barriers significantly enhances the induced pressure perturbation and gas velocity, with different amplitudes inversely proportional to the barrier gap distance. Furthermore, the EHD force density between the dielectric barriers is observed globally in the face-to-face discharge, with a much larger area than that of the single anode discharge. Also, to understand the underlying mechanisms of the gap distance influence, the discharge parameters, such as the evolutions of space charge and EHD force related to the gap distance in the groove, are studied. The investigation shows that the SDBD in the grooved structure has great potential in industrial applications of active flow control.