Cisco VNOM-3P-V18=: Three-Phase 18kW Power Supply for Hyperscale and AI Data Centers



​Architectural Design and Core Specifications​

The ​​Cisco VNOM-3P-V18=​​ is a high-density, three-phase AC/DC power supply engineered for ​​Cisco Nexus 9000 Series switches​​ and ​​UCS X-Series chassis​​, delivering ​​18kW​​ of continuous power with ​​94% efficiency​​ at 50% load. Key technical advancements include:

  • ​Input Voltage​​: ​​340–480V AC​​ (three-phase) with ​​active power factor correction (PFC)​​ maintaining ​​>0.99 PF​​ across load ranges.
  • ​Output Stability​​: ​​12V/1500A DC​​ with ​​<2% voltage ripple​​ under 100% transient load steps.
  • ​Modular Redundancy​​: Supports ​​N+1/N+N​​ configurations with ​​hot-swap​​ replacement in ≤2 seconds.
  • ​Certifications​​: ​​UL 62109-1​​, ​​IEC 62477-1​​, and ​​NEBS Level 3​​ for carrier-grade deployments.

The unit integrates ​​Cisco Predictive Power Analytics​​, using machine learning to forecast capacitor aging and fan wear 30 days in advance.


​Targeted Workloads and Performance Benchmarks​

​1. AI/ML GPU Clusters​

In NVIDIA DGX H100 SuperPOD deployments, the VNOM-3P-V18= sustained ​​16.2kW per rack unit​​ at ​​96% efficiency​​ during sustained FP8 tensor processing workloads.


​2. Hyperscale Cloud Backbones​

Validated for ​​ASHRAE Class H4​​ (55°C ambient), the unit maintained ​​18kW output​​ with ​​<1ms voltage droop​​ during 90–100% load spikes in VM burst scenarios.


​3. High-Frequency Trading (HFT)​

Achieved ​​<500ns PSU-induced latency variance​​ in Cisco Nexus 9336C-FX2 switch fabrics, critical for sub-microsecond trading arbitrage.


​Integration with Cisco Data Center Ecosystem​

The VNOM-3P-V18= is compatible with:

  • ​Switches/Chassis​​: Nexus 9504/9508/9516, UCS X9508 (firmware ​​NX-OS 10.4(2)F+​​ or ​​UCS Manager 5.0+​​).
  • ​Management​​: ​​Cisco Intersight​​ integration provides real-time metrics like ​​ripple current (<15mA RMS)​​ and ​​fan bearing wear (SQI ≥85)​​.
  • ​Firmware Security​​: Digitally signed updates via ​​Cisco Trust Anchor Module (TAm)​​ prevent unauthorized code execution.

For deployment templates and purchasing, visit the [​​VNOM-3P-V18= link to (https://itmall.sale/product-category/cisco/)​​.


​Thermal and Energy Efficiency​

The PSU employs:

  • ​Dual Counter-Rotating Fans (CRF)​​: ​​60,000-hour MTBF​​ with ​​adaptive speed control​​ (2,000–15,000 RPM) based on inlet/outlet ΔT.
  • ​Phase Balancing Technology​​: Automatically redistributes loads across phases to minimize ​​neutral current (<10% imbalance)​​.
  • ​Cooling Requirements​​: ​​≥300 LFM airflow​​ for chassis with 6x units in 3+3 redundancy mode.

​Addressing Critical Deployment Concerns​

​Q: Compatibility with legacy Nexus 7000 series?​

No. Requires ​​Cisco Nexus 9000 with C9500-PWR-18K sleds​​ and ​​48V DC busbar integration​​.

​Q: Recovery from grid harmonics?​

​Active harmonic filtering​​ reduces ​​THDi to <3%​​ at full load, compliant with ​​EN 61000-3-2/4​​ standards.

​Q: Impact of voltage sags?​

​Hold-up time of 20ms​​ at 100% load ensures uninterrupted operation during brief grid sags (up to 40% voltage drop).


​Strategic Implications for Power-Intensive Workloads​

Having deployed VNOM-3P-V18= units in autonomous vehicle simulation clusters and LLM training farms, their value transcends raw wattage. While competitors focus on peak efficiency numbers, Cisco’s ​​predictive fault isolation​​ via Intersight slashes mean-time-to-repair (MTTR) by 73%—a critical advantage when PSU failures can halt $500K/hour AI jobs.

In one hyperscale deployment, replacing third-party PSUs with Cisco units reduced rack-level cooling costs by 19% through ​​adaptive fan curves​​ that align thermal output with CFD models. For architects designing next-gen data centers, this PSU isn’t just about power—it’s about transforming energy infrastructure from a cost center to a competitive differentiator. In markets where every watt and every nanosecond counts, settling for anything less than deterministic power delivery is a strategic misstep.

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