The gasification characteristics of the rice husk were studied in a cyclone gasifier using air as the gasifying medium to generate the fuel gas with available heating value and less tar content. The influence of equivalence ratio on temperature profiles, composition and low heating value of the produced gas, tar content, carbon conversion and cold gas efficiency was investigated. The equivalence ratios considered in this study were 0.20-0.32. The results show that the optimal equivalence ratio is 0.29 and the maximum temperature of gasification should be lower than 1000 degrees C. In order to optimize the performance of the cyclone gasifier, the main body of the gasifier was lengthened and air staged gasification was carried out. The low heating value of the produced gas, carbon conversion, cold gas efficiency and tar content are 4.72 MJ/Nm(3), 57.5%, 37.3% and 1.85 g/Nm(3), respectively. Copyright (c) 2012, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.