<p>The detrimental vibrations produced during the operation of power equipment in ships not only contribute to noise pollution but also lead to structural damage. Active vibration isolation systems have been shown to effectively mitigate these vibrations by generating a counteracting force. This study focuses on the design and optimization of a novel electromagnetic actuator, specifically a tubular permanent magnet linear motor (TPMLM), for the purpose of active vibration isolation in ships. Addressing the problems associated with low average thrust and significant thrust fluctuation, this research proposes three distinct magnet optimization structures based on Halbach array magnetization. The stator structure was optimized according to the two end force equations of the TPMLM. To achieve optimal performance of the TPMLM, the study initially employs a Taguchi experimental design to assess the impact of various structural parameters on both the average thrust and the thrust fluctuation. Subsequently, a Box-Behnken experimental design is utilized to derive functional equations to the average thrust and the thrust fluctuation. The whale optimization algorithm is then introduced to identify the optimal parameter combinations that yield the best performance for the TPMLM. Finally, experimental validation is conducted to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed optimizations.</p>