Stator saver arrangement for canned motor pump

A canned motor pump comprising:

• a main housing;
• a rotor having a shaft extending from both a first end and an opposite second end of the rotor;
• a first radial bearing positioned in a first bearing support coupled to the main housing, the first radial bearing supporting the shaft extending from the first end of the rotor;
• a second radial bearing positioned in a second bearing support coupled to the main housing, the second radial bearing supporting the shaft extending from the second end of the rotor;
• a stator having a generally tubular shape positioned within the main housing radially outward from the rotor such that an annular gap is defined between the rotor and the stator;
• and
• a limit ring positioned adjacent at least one of the first or second radial bearings,
• wherein the limit ring comprises:
• a cylindrical body positioned about a central longitudinal axis and having a first end and an opposite second end;
• a central passage defined through the cylindrical body centered about, and extending along the longitudinal axis between the first end and the second end, the central passage having a circular cross section when viewed along the longitudinal axis;
• and
• a plurality of channels defined in the cylindrical body radially outward from the central passage, each channel extending between the first end and the second end,
• wherein the limit ring is positioned about the shaft extending from one of the first end of the rotor or the second end of the rotor such that the shaft extends through the central passage of the limit ring, and
• wherein a portion of the limit ring between a pair of the channels is spaced a distance from an adjacent portion of the canned motor pump that is less than a minimum distance between the rotor and the stator.