Armatura

The armature interacts with the magnetic field (magnetic flux) in the air-gap; the field component can comprise either permanent magnets, or electromagnets formed by a conducting coil, such as another armature (i.e., doubly-fed electric machine).

The armature must carry current, so it is always a conductor or a conductive coil, oriented normal to both the field and to the direction of motion, torque (rotating machine), or force (linear machine). The armature's role is twofold. The first is to carry current across the field, thus creating shaft torque in a rotating machine or force in a linear machine. The second role is to generate an electromotive force (EMF).