Combustor inlet mixing system with swirler vanes having slots

A turbine engine, comprising:

• at least one combustor positioned upstream from a rotor assembly, wherein the rotor assembly includes at least one row of turbine blades extending radially outward from a rotor;
• a compressor positioned upstream from the at least one combustor;
• at least one compressor exhaust plenum extending between the compressor and the at least one combustor;
• and
• at least one combustor inlet mixing system formed from a plurality of circumferentially spaced swirler vanes extending radially outward from a nozzle hub, each of the plurality of swirler vanes having a length that extends downstream along at least a portion of the at least one combustor inlet mixing system and further having a thickness that extends along a circumference of the nozzle hub, wherein at least one swirler vane of the plurality of swirler vanes further has at least one slot cut entirely through the thickness of a portion of the at least one swirler vane, the at least one slot separating the at least one swirler vane from the nozzle hub along a portion of the length of the at least one swirler vane.