As RWCE algorithm is used to optimize heat exchanger networks, the existence of fixed investment cost makes it difficult to produce and retain heat exchanger units with small loads. It makes structures that have not yet fully evolved be eliminated too early. We established a relaxation method of fixed investment cost. The fixed investment cost and the heat exchange of heat exchange unit are processed according to their variation. With heat exchange of heat exchange unit, relaxation strength in optimization process is adjusted in real time to guide and promote the smooth generation and evolution of small load heat exchange unit, so as to enhance structural evolution ability of heat exchange network. The relaxation strategy is applied to 9SP and 15SP examples to verify that the relaxation strategy promotes structural evolution effectively and improves optimization quality. The optimal results (2 903 528 $ ·a-1, 5 115 061 $ ·a-1) are better than those in literatures.