In this work, mechanical work potential refers to the ability of an explosive to convert chemical energy into expansion work, as quantified experimentally by cylinder-test detonation energy. A novel predictive method is introduced for the assessment of cylinder-test detonation energy (DE) in CHNOFCl energetic compounds, specifically targeting performance in the cylinder test. Utilizing four distinct decomposition pathways, the model evaluates the heat of detonation (Q), the number of moles of gaseous products (NMGP), and the average molecular weight of these gases (AMWGP) by accounting for key species such as HF, HCl, CO, N₂, H₂O, H₂, and CO₂. Initial analysis reveals a strong linear correlation between experimental DE and a composite parameter of Q, loading density (ρ_0), and NMGP, expressed as: DE=9.58+2.50×10^2 Q^0.5 〖(ρ_0×NMGP)〗^0.7 (R2=0.886). To further enhance accuracy, an improved correlation was developed by incorporating log(AMWGP) as a corrective term, yielding the refined model: 〖DE〗_cor=-14.7+8.90log⁡(AMWGP)+0.355×10^2 Q^0.5 〖(ρ_0×NMGP)〗^0.7. The robustness and generalizability of this improved model were rigorously validated through internal and external evaluation techniques, demonstrating its reliability for predicting the mechanical work potential of diverse energetic materials.