Chasing the Ferranti Ghost: Corner Case Analysis of Overvoltage Using ETAP

The Ferranti effect is a known yet pervasive power system anomaly where overvoltage emerges on lightly loaded lines. This phenomenon behaves like an electrical “ghost”, appearing unpredictably under certain grid conditions. While typical modeling explores common Ferranti cases, unusual corner configurations reveal unknown behaviors. We harness ETAP's multi-parameter modeling capabilities to chase this Ferranti ghost into unfamiliar territory - systematically adjusting loads, distances, and components to extremes beyond standard simulations. The goal is to illuminate overvoltage cases existing analyses overlook. While mst analyses prevent known issues, few venture into the shadows uncovering Ferranti's subtleties. We explore those shadows, pushing ETAP to extremes to expand Ferranti's knowledge. The insights gained by focusing on uncertain corner cases rather than idealized textbook conditions provide new data tackling the persistent challenge of modeling and mitigating power system overvoltage anomalies.