The converter assembly was a vital energy-production component on Template:ShipClass starships.
In 2266, the Starship Enterprise was forced to extend her shields around a small Class J starship which it had pursued into an asteroid belt. This overexpenditure of power burned out the lithium crystal circuits at the heart of the ship's power, and caused significant damage to the converter assembly, making the institution of a bypass circuit impossible. (TOS: "Mudd's Women")